Skateboarding made its debut as an Olympic sport in the Tokyo 2021 Games, and it has returned for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The sport includes two disciplines: park and street skateboarding.
In the park competition, skaters navigate a course that resembles a bowl or swimming pool, launching themselves off the walls to perform tricks. Judges assess the height, difficulty, variety of tricks, speed, and use of the course’s obstacles. Skaters have three 45-second runs in the preliminary round, with the top eight advancing to the final. The final round also consists of three runs, with the top three scorers earning medals.
On the other hand, street skateboarding competitors navigate a street-like course with various obstacles like stairs, handrails, curbs, benches, walls, and slopes. Skaters perform two 45-second runs and five tricks, judged on difficulty, execution, and variety. The top eight from the preliminary round advance to the final, where the top three scorers become medalists.
The Olympic skateboarding competition will take place at a temporary venue at Place de la Concorde in Paris, alongside other sports like 3×3 basketball, break dancing, and BMX freestyle. Athletes qualify based on world rankings over an extended period, with each nation allowed up to 12 skaters – three men and three women in both park and street disciplines.
The United States will field a full 12-skater team at the Paris Games, including well-known skateboarders like Nyjah Huston, Jagger Eaton, and Mariah Duran. Eaton, who won bronze in men’s street at the Tokyo Olympics, is among the American hopefuls looking to secure more medals in the skateboarding competition.
Overall, skateboarding at the Olympics offers an exciting opportunity for both athletes and fans to witness incredible skill and talent on display. The sport’s inclusion in the Games represents a move towards attracting younger audiences and expanding the diversity of sports showcased on a global platform. With competitive formats that test athletes’ creativity, technical abilities, and adaptability, Olympic skateboarding promises to be a must-watch event at the Paris 2024 Games.
