B.C. skateboarder Pritchard wins Youth Olympics bronze for Canada

DAKAR — Evie Pritchard, the youngest member of Canada’s Youth Olympic team, won bronze in women’s street skateboarding Thursday.

The 14-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., scored 137.79 points in the final, finishing just behind Brazil’s Duda Ribeiro (138.28). China’s Zhu Yuanling won gold with 149.82.

Pritchard, the only Canadian competing in skateboarding, entered the Games ranked 21st in the world.

She said she tried not to let the pressure of competing on the Olympic stage get to her.

“I just told myself that being really nervous doesn’t make things better, so I tried to stay calm. I also just want to do the best I can,” she said.

Pritchard’s interest in skateboarding began with family trips to the skate park.

“My dad skateboarded a bit when he was a teenager, and he also wanted to get us on boards,” she said. “We also just wanted to be active, so we’d go to the skate park a bit. When I was around nine, I became more interested in it, and after that, I just kept going.”

Her bronze is Canada’s second medal of the Games, following a silver by Anes Mati of Anjou, Que., in the men’s 66-kilogram judo event.

Canada sent 28 athletes to compete in 10 sports at the Games, which mark the first Olympic competition held in Africa.

The Youth Olympic Games, featuring approximately 2,650 athletes from more than 200 nations and a refugee team, run through Nov. 13.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2026.