Paris Olympics: What to know and who to watch during the skateboarding competition

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FILE – Sky Brown, of Britain, competes in the women’s park skateboarding prelims at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Aug. 4, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. The 15-year-old phenom will compete in her second Olympics after becoming her country’s youngest medal winner in Tokyo when she won bronze in the park contest at just 13 years and 28 days old. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

By The Associated Press undefined

A roadmap to follow for the skateboarding competition during the Paris Olympics:

Athletes to Watch—Jagger Eaton, United States: While the teams haven’t been announced just yet, Eaton won bronze in the street contest in Tokyo and is expected to become the first person to compete in the Olympics in both park and street in Paris. He became the first athlete to win park and street world championships when he captured the park title in February 2023.

—Sky Brown, Britain: The 15-year-old phenom is expected to compete in her second Olympics after becoming her country’s youngest medal winner in Tokyo when she won bronze in the park contest at just 13 years and 28 days old. A two-sport star, she came just short of also qualifying for the surfing competition in Paris.

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FILE – Yuto Horigome, of Japan, competes during his quarterfinal at the Street Skateboarding World Championships in Rome, July 1, 2022. The reigning gold medalist in street should be a force again this summer. Since Tokyo, the 25-year-old has also won gold at the X Games in 2022 and 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

—Nyjah Huston, United States: The 29-year-old Huston was favored to win gold in street at Tokyo but finished a disappointing seventh. He should contend for a medal this time around after recovering from an ACL tear.

—Arisa Trew, Australia: The 14-year-old is expected to make her Olympic debut competing in the park contest. Trew gained notoriety last year when she became the first female to execute a 720 trick, first made famous by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk in 1985. The trick involves making two full rotations in the air.

—Ginwoo Onodera, Japan: Now 14, Onodera won the men’s street competition at the X Games last May when he was just 13. The Japanese star won bronze at the World Skateboarding Championship in 2023 and became the youngest national champion in Japan’s history when he was 12.

skateboarding
FILE – Nyjah Huston, of the United States, competes during the men’s semifinals at the Street Skateboarding World Championships in Rome, July 2, 2022. The 29-year-old was favored to win gold in street at Tokyo but finished a disappointing seventh. He should contend for a medal this time around after recovering from an ACL tear. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

Storylines to FollowThe competition will feature a beautiful backdrop when it takes place at the Place de La Concorde in the center of the city situated in front of the Eiffel Tower. Watching Trew and Brown compete in the park contest should be a treat with the two youngsters sure to wow on the world’s biggest stage.

Key DatesMen’s Street prelims and finals are on July 27. Women’s Street prelims and finals will take place on July 28. Women’s Park prelims and finals are on Aug. 6. Men’s Park prelims and finals will be held on Aug. 7.

Reigning Champions—Men’s Street: Yuto Horigome, Japan.

—Men’s Park: Keegan Palmer, Australia.

—Women’s Street: Momiji Nishiya, Japan.

—Women’s Park: Sakura Yosozumi, Japan.