"My first championship was when I was six years old and at eight I started taking things more seriously and wanting to be the best in the world. I always had that in my mind and since then I work for that day to come", said to Lusa.

The skateboarder from Almada knows that fighting for the gold in the street discipline will help him to "try to raise" Portuguese skateboarding at an international level, "putting it on the map".

Despite being part of the international elite, Gustavo Ribeiro understands that "there is always room" to evolve, namely in the way of facing this sport and the competition.

"My strong point is my consistency and head. One of the points always to be improved is your head and how you see things. You can be a very good athlete, but if you don't have a head and focus, you throw a lot of things away," he said.

Last 22 May, an accident in a race in the United States resulted in a shoulder injury that forced him to stop and recover for the rest of the season: he is "still not 100 percent", however he remains "very confident".

"When you go to the Olympic Games the work is not for two months, but for a few years. I'm going to do what I've been doing for many years and not put too much pressure on myself. I'm quite confident", he stressed.

Ribeiro admitted that he did not think he would see the sport on the Olympic Games programme. However, he argued that this is an "evolution" of the event and a way of attracting young people, who are less interested in "the same old repetitive sports".

The competitor from Pragal believes that his presence in Tokyo2020 will attract "many young people" to his lifelong passion, contributing to demystify it as a "marginal sport".

Therefore, he challenges the younger ones to "never give up on their dreams" and to bet on what they really like, "regardless of the size of Portugal and the opportunities that the country holds", presenting himself as the best example of the result of this way of thinking.

"If it's a dream, never give up on making it happen", he exulted.

Assuming the desire to "bring a medal to Portugal", he hopes to "make history" in Japan and "make proud" all those who have been by his side "and our nation".

Gustavo Ribeiro will be one of the debutants of the sport in Tokyo2020, in the Street events, scheduled for the first Sunday of the Games, 25 July.

The Tokyo2020 Olympic Games will be held between 23 July and 8 August, after the postponement by one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.