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'So fun!' says 9-year-old Filipino skateboarder in Asian Games

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Mazel Paris Alegado, a 9 years old competitor from the Philippines in action during the Women" s="" Park="" Final="" in="" Skateboarding="" during="" the="" Asian="" Games="" Hangzhou="" September="" Alex="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/09/25/09252023-9-year-old-filipino-skateboarder_asian-games.jpg"/><figcaption>Mazel Paris Alegado, a 9 years old competitor from the Philippines in action during the Women&#x27;s Park Final in Skateboarding during the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, in Hangzhou, China, September 25, 2023. <em>Alex Plavevski, EPA-EFE.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>HANGZHOU, China -- She probably ought to have been in primary school, but instead Mazel Paris Alegado -- aged nine -- competed in skateboarding at the Asian Games on Monday.</p><p>Alegado, thought to be the youngest athlete at the Games in Hangzhou and representing the Philippines, qualified for the &quot;women&#x27;s&quot; park final and came seventh out of eight.</p><p>Japan&#x27;s Hinano Kusaki, a comparative veteran at 15, won gold.</p><p>Alegado, who turned nine in March and reportedly comes from California, said she got into skateboarding when she saw her brother doing it while they were at a cousin&#x27;s house.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/25/23/9-year-old-pinay-skateboarder-places-7th-in-park-finals">9-year-old Pinay skateboarder places 7th in park finals</a></li></ul><p>&quot;And I was like, &#x27;Can I try? Can I try?&#x27;&quot; she said. &quot;And I got on the board and just loved it.&quot;</p><p>Talking on her feelings about taking part in a major international competition, Alegado said: &quot;I was so excited because I was about to skate the Asian Games -- and I just did, so it was so fun!&quot;</p><p>Asked if her brother still skates, she replied: &quot;No because he was like, &#x27;Oh dang, she&#x27;s better than me now&#x27;, so he stopped.&quot;</p><p>In the final, Alegado avoided the wooden spoon, which instead went to Taiwanese 11-year-old Lin Yi-fan.</p><p>© Agence France-Presse</p><p>RELATED VIDEO</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s-47kDJXW1g?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

She probably ought to have been in primary school, but instead Mazel Paris Alegado -- aged nine -- competed in skateboarding at the Asian Games.