The Olympics continued to produce its magic on Monday in Tokyo as a 13-year old and a 57-year old went on the podium on the same day to receive their medals in respective events proving that age is just a number. Japan's Momiji Nishiya, aged 13 years and 330 days became one of the youngest athletes to win Olympic gold.
Momiji Nishiya won the women's street skateboarding competition leaving behind Brazil teenager Rayssa Leal and Japan's 16-year old Funa Nakayama. Nishiya stumbled on her landings in the first two but produced absolute perfect landings in the last three to finish just over her Brazilian opponent.
Similarly, the 57-year old young Abdullah Al-Rashidi, who competed as an independent athlete in the 2016 Rio Olympics after Kuwait was banned by IOC, repeated his feat of winning bronze medal five years later in 2021 in the Tokyo Games on Monday. This was Al-Rashidi's second bronze medal, but first for his country, Kuwait.
In 2016, the 52-year old wearing an Arsenal jersey stole the limelight and later won a bronze medal in the men's skeet shooting event. Five years later, Al-Rashidi returned a little older, more experienced and now representing his country.
Sporting an Arsenal jersey as 'independent athlete' after Kuwait was banned by IOC, Abdullah Al-Rashidi had won bronze in Rio. The veteran (57) has repeated that feat in Tokyo. What a tale!
13-year-olds and a 57-year-old climbing the podium on the same day. Magic of Olympics! pic.twitter.com/qqDRbEuIXS
— anmol gurung (@gurung1012) July 26, 2021
Al-Rashidi finished at third place with 46 points behind the USA's Vincent Hancock, who set an Olympic record with 59 points to win the gold medal while Denmark's Jesper Hansen scored 55 points and claimed silver.
Abdullah Al-Rashidi of #KUW takes his second #bronze in in the men’s skeet #shooting at his SEVENTH Olympics!#StrongerTogether | #Tokyo2020 | @ISSF_Shooting pic.twitter.com/qAOSOGJqE7
— Olympics (@Olympics) July 26, 2021
Indian rifle shooter and Olympic medal winner Gagan Narang couldn't hold his feelings as he expressed his joy for the 57-year old, and taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Al rashidi winning skeet bronze at 57 years of age .. Take a Bow... Age is just a number."
Al rashidi winning skeet bronze at 57 years of age .. Take a Bow.. Age is just a number.. pic.twitter.com/mOVKPEXCIl
— Gagan Narang (@gaGunNarang) July 26, 2021