Skateboarding Set to Shine at Paris 2024 Olympics

The excitement is building as skateboarding returns for its second Olympic appearance at the Paris 2024 Games. From July 27 to August 7, the world’s top 88 skateboarders—44 men and 44 women—will compete in the park and street disciplines at the iconic Place de La Concorde in the heart of Paris. This historic location will […]

The excitement is building as skateboarding returns for its second Olympic appearance at the Paris 2024 Games. From July 27 to August 7, the world’s top 88 skateboarders—44 men and 44 women—will compete in the park and street disciplines at the iconic Place de La Concorde in the heart of Paris. This historic location will provide a stunning backdrop as athletes showcase their skills on specially designed courses that replicate the urban environments where skateboarding culture thrived.

In the park competition, skaters will navigate a varied course with bowls and bends, using the entire surface to perform high-flying tricks. Each athlete will have three 45-second runs, with their best score counting towards their final result. The street competition, meanwhile, will feature stairs, handrails, and other urban obstacles, with competitors judged on their control and execution over two 45-second runs and five individual tricks.

The men’s park event is set to be fiercely contested. Australia’s Keegan Palmer, the reigning Olympic champion, will defend his title against a field that includes U.S. skaters Gavin Bottger, Tate Carew, and Tom Schaar, as well as Brazilian talents Luigi Cini and Pedro Barros. Palmer’s consistency in recent qualifiers suggests he’s in good form, but the competition will be intense.

On the street side, all eyes will be on Nyjah Huston from the USA, who will be looking to improve on his seventh-place finish in Tokyo. He will face stiff competition from Japan’s Yuto Horigome, the defending gold medallist, and rising stars like Sora Shirai and 14-year-old Ginwoo Onodera. American skaters Jagger Eaton and Kelvin Hoefler, along with French hopeful Aurélien Giraud, will also be vying for podium spots.

The women’s events promise to be equally thrilling. In the park discipline, Great Britain’s Sky Brown, who won bronze in Tokyo, will aim for gold despite a challenging run-up that included a serious injury. She’ll compete against formidable opponents like Tokyo silver medallist Hiraki Kokona from Japan and Australian prodigy Arisa Trew. In the street competition, Brazil’s Rayssa Leal, who took silver in Tokyo at just 13, will be a favourite, with strong challenges expected from Japan’s Liz Akama and Australia’s Chloe Covell.

As skateboarding continues to grow in popularity, the Paris 2024 Olympics will be a pivotal moment for the sport, showcasing its unique blend of athleticism and creativity on a global stage. Fans can catch all the action live through various broadcasters, ensuring they don’t miss a moment of the flips, tricks, and thrills.