Chloe Covell turns 13 on Wednesday. But instead of celebrating her milestone birthday with friends and family as most new teenagers would, the skateboarding prodigy from the New South Wales-Queensland border will be on a plane, travelling back to Australia from the UAE with a world championships silver medal in her luggage and an eye on making the 2024 Olympic team.
What would be classed unusual for most at her age is becoming the norm for the street skater whose rapid rise has marked her out as one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents in the sport. Her silver in Sharjah – secured while still just 12 years old – was the third major medal of a burgeoning collection, adding to the silver and bronze she collected at last year’s X-Games, aged 11. She is the youngest athlete to win two medals at the annual action sports event before the age of 13.
