Thirteen-year-old Matsumoto Ibuki won her maiden World Skateboarding Tour title in stunning fashion with her third and final trick at the World Cup Kitakyushu Street 2025 in Japan on Sunday (30 November).
The already deep Japanese pool got deeper as Matsumoto overtook Oda Yumeka on her last attempt with a 87.25, finishing just more than two-tenths of a point to capture her maiden trophy 160.51 to 160.29.
Australia’s Chloe Covell, who arrived in Japan ill, threw down the best trick score of the day with a 90.07 to grab bronze on 155.60. Covell had won the World Cup in Rome in June.
Matsumoto, a native of the Kyushu region from Kumamoto Prefecture, needed an 87.04 on her third trick and stepped up to the delight of the home crowd.
Oda had cooked up the pressure with an 89.22 on her second trick – a flip front feeble – but it did not prove to be enough to thwart Matsumoto, who had been hot all week.
Oda tipped her hat to Matsumoto, saying victory was no fluke.
“She had been coming on really strong. I thought she was out of control,” Oda said of Japan’s latest prodigy to surface on the international stage.
“I think it’s amazing how she found a way to win the championship in her home contest.”
Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Akama Liz ended up fifth on 148.46 after lukewarm runs and failing to execute her best tricks.