Japan's dominance of the street skateboarding world championships in Tokyo has highlighted the fierce competition to represent the country at next summer's Paris Olympics.

The host nation accounted for nine of the 16 finalists and five of the six medalists at the championships that concluded Sunday at Ariake Coliseum, with Sora Shirai winning the men's title and Yumeka Oda crowned women's champion.

Japan currently has five men and six women in the top 10 of the respective Olympic qualification rankings but can send no more than three of each to the street competition at Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Japan's Sora Shirai reacts after performing his last trick in the men's final at the street skateboarding world championships at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on Dec. 17, 2023. (Kyodo)

Ranked first among Japanese men and second overall, Shirai took a big step toward his second straight Olympics by finishing ahead of compatriots Kairi Netsuke and Yuto Horigome in a world championship podium sweep for Japan.

"The hardest part about Olympic qualification is the competition from other Japanese. I want to do my best for Paris," the 22-year-old, who finished ninth at the Tokyo Games, said Sunday.

Tokyo Olympic champion Horigome, who is coming back from a hip injury, improved his overall standing with his best result of the season, but is still fourth among his countrymen, with Netsuke third and 13-year-old prodigy Ginwoo Onodera second.

Japan's Yumeka Oda celebrates after completing her performance in the women's final of the street skateboarding world championships at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on Dec. 17, 2023. (Kyodo)

"I didn't think I would do this well. I was glad to finish third and get qualification points," he said.

The 17-year-old Oda moved closer to securing her Olympic debut. She is second among Japanese women behind the overall leader, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Momiji Nishiya, who took world championship bronze on Sunday.

Japan's Liz Akama, Funa Nakayama and Coco Yoshizawa are ranked fifth through seventh in the world, respectively, with Miyu Ito 10th.

Athletes can pick up further ranking points at selected competitions culminating in the newly launched Olympic Qualifier Series taking place between March and June next year.

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