When landing a 720, a skateboarder has to be high enough for the board to rotate twice before it reaches the ground. Tony Hawk invented the trick in 1985 at the age of 17.Almost 40 years later, Mia Kretzer landed a 720 to become the youngest gold medal winner in X Games history at the age of 9.

The Phenom

Kretzer, who grew up in Australia, started skateboarding at five years old.

“My mom took me and my sister to a community learn-to-skate clinic, and I loved it from the very first day. I couldn’t wait to get my own skateboard! I was hooked and spent every available moment after school skating,” she told reporters.

One of the most impressive parts of her journey to X Games stardom is the fact that Kretzer doesn’t have a coach and is mostly self-taught.

She had only begun focusing on the vertical ramp within the last few years when her city added a 14-foot vertical ramp to the local skate park.

Bringing Home the Hardware

Kretzer’s journey to the X Games began when she received a wild card invite to Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert competition. These two-day competitions showcased some of the best skaters in the world. Not only did she compete, but she also made it to the semi-finals of the event.

At the 2024 X Games, she continued to shine. She landed the 720 in just two attempts, posting a score that no other competitor could beat.

Kretzer had already made history as the youngest competitor ever at the X Games, and now she is the youngest skater to take home a gold medal.

After her wildcard invite to the Vert Alert Challenge, reporters asked her mom what this journey has meant to her daughter.

“This was a massive dream for her,” she said, “and in a few short years, she’s made something impossible become possible.”

Just a month later, Mia Kretzer continued to show athletes of any age what’s possible.

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Valor Fitness

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