The rumble of wheels on concrete, the collective gasp of the crowd, and the unmistakable clack of a board hitting the coping — these were the sounds that filled the air at Place de la Concorde during the Paris 2024 Olympics. For a few unforgettable days, this historic square, usually packed with tourists and traffic, was transformed into a skateboarder’s paradise.
Through the words of the athletes themselves, we’ll take a look at the personal journeys, sacrifices, and moments of pure joy that made the skateboarding competition unforgettable.
Trew, Hiraki, and Brown: Teenage Titans and The Rise of Skateboarding’s Next Generation
Fourteen-year-old Australian sensation Arisa Trew clinched gold with an amazing final run in the Women’s Park, scoring 93.18 to edge out Japan’s Hiraki Cocona and Britain’s Sky Brown.
Trew’s journey to Olympic gold was nothing short of remarkable. In May 2024, she became the first woman ever to land a 900 – two-and-a-half rotations in mid-air. This feat came just a year after she became the first woman to land a 720 in competition, earning her the Action Sportsperson of the Year at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards.
Sporting her trademark pink helmet, Trew beamed as she made a heart shape with her hands after her winning score flashed on the board.
The podium was the stage of skateboarding’s bright future, with silver medallist Hiraki Cocona at 15 and bronze medallist Sky Brown at 16. Brown getting a medal was particularly touching, as she revealed she had dislocated her shoulder just a day before the competition and was still recovering from a torn medial cruciate ligament in her right knee.
“It’s not in the best shape,” Brown admitted, referring to her shoulder. “It is all part of the story.”
The sisterhood between these young athletes was palpable. “They are incredible,” Brown said of her fellow medallists. “Arisa, coming out with the NPDs [never been done]. She’s a beast and really, truly inspiring. And Cocona, she’s been along the ride the whole way. Sharing these beautiful moments and journeys, it has been really fun.”
Hiraki, who had been a consistent performer throughout the Olympic qualification period, spoke about the mutual inspiration among the medallists: “All of us, the medallists, Sky, Arisa and myself, have different styles. They inspire me and we support and encourage each other. I really appreciate that.”
Yuto Horigome: Defending Champion’s Last-Minute Comeback in Men’s Street
The men’s street final was a nail-biting affair that saw Japan’s Yuto Horigome pull off a miraculous comeback to defend his Olympic title. Horigome found himself in seventh position going into the final round, but delivered when it mattered most.
With the pressure mounting, Horigome delivered a clutch performance, landing an eye-popping nollie 270 bluntslide down the hubba for a score of 97.08 — the highest of the day — to snatch gold from Americans Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston.
“I can’t believe it. I feel like I’m still dreaming,” Horigome said afterwards, his voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t expect this moment might happen because I was not even sure if I could qualify for the Olympics here in Paris. It was very tough mentally and physically.”
After becoming Japan’s darling with his Tokyo gold, Horigome struggled with the spotlight and faced doubts about whether he’d even make it to Paris. His qualification in Budapest was a turning point, and he carried that momentum into the Olympics. “I’m happy that I gave everything I had to win,” he added, reflecting on his come-from-behind victory.
Nyjah Huston: Skateboarding Legend Clinches First Olympic Medal
For Nyjah Huston, widely regarded as one of the greatest skateboarders of all time, the bronze medal in men’s street was a moment of redemption. After a disappointing seventh-place finish in Tokyo, Huston had to battle his way to a quota spot for Paris 2024, overcoming an ACL tear that sidelined him for eight months.
“It’s not easy. Skating is not easy,” Huston reflected after the final, his words carrying the weight of his long journey. “It’s hard stuff we do out there.”
Known for his numerous X Games victories and video parts, the pressure to perform on the Olympic stage had been immense in Tokyo. In Paris, he showed he had conquered those demons.
Jagger Eaton: Silver Lining After Park Qualification Heartbreak
Silver medallist Jagger Eaton had embarked on a difficult two-year journey to qualify in both street and park events, pushing his mind and body to the limit.
A heartbreaking near-miss in park qualification at the final qualifier in Budapest had shattered Eaton’s dreams of a double quota. But in Paris, he showed his mettle, landing an enormous nollie 270 switch backside noseblunt for a 95.25 score that briefly put him in gold medal position.
“This stuff, it mentally and physically drains you,” Eaton said after the final, his voice filled with emotion. “This last year and half has been really tough, especially going for park and street. That really beat me up in every way, and missing the team in Budapest was devastating.”
Despite the disappointment of missing out on park, Eaton’s gratitude for his street silver was evident. “To be out there fighting to be on the podium and to be hitting my tricks under pressure like that, that’s what every athlete dreams of and I’m just so grateful. I’m so grateful: there are no other words.”
Yoshizawa, Akama, and Leal: A New Generation Rises in Women’s Street
The women’s street final was another hub of youthful talent, with three teenagers claiming the podium. Fourteen-year-old Yoshizawa Coco of Japan took gold, followed by her 15-year-old compatriot Liz Akama and 16-year-old Brazilian Rayssa Leal.
Yoshizawa’s composure belied her young age as she consistently delivered throughout the competition. After landing a near-perfect big spin flip frontside boardslide on her fourth trick for a score of 96.46, she reflected on her performance: “I felt that there were areas where I lacked practice and also parts where I was being too meticulous. I need to rethink and not be too fixated.”
The young champion also expressed her gratitude to her support system: “My family and friends are here. I want to thank them for supporting me and encouraging me to do my best.”
For silver medallist Akama, the moment was a dream come true. “I am very, very happy because my dream was to get a medal at the Paris Olympics,” she beamed. Despite her success, Akama remained focused on improvement: “Today’s performance had good points but also some bad because I couldn’t pull off my special trick. I have been trying it a lot and practising a lot and I have actually done it in a competition before, but today I couldn’t make it.”
Leal, who had won silver in Tokyo at just 13, was thrilled with her bronze. “Now I know what the real Olympics are,” she said, referring to the stark contrast between the pandemic-affected Tokyo Games and the vibrant atmosphere in Paris. “There are so many Brazilian fans here. It’s crazy.”
The Brazilian skater also opened up about her mental state during the competition: “I did my best, I did what I could, and I’m really happy. In the semi-finals I was nervous, but in the finals I was home. I’m really, really happy.”
Macdonald and Zheng: When Age Is Just a Number
The skateboarding events also featured some remarkable age-related milestones. At 51, Britain’s Andy Macdonald became the oldest-ever skateboarder to compete in an Olympic Games. Despite not making it to the final, Macdonald’s joy was infectious.
“I could have fallen on every run and just be as happy as I am now. It doesn’t matter,” Macdonald said, his enthusiasm evident. “It’s just been the experience of a lifetime. The first few days I was here, I was getting like, four hours of sleep because I was up in the Olympic Village. I bought an electric skateboard so I was just zooming around, just like meeting everybody.”
Macdonald reflected on the sport’s journey to the Olympics: “For Tony [Hawk] and mine’s generation, skateboarding was the antithesis of Olympic sport. And we became skateboarders because we didn’t want organised sport. We didn’t want to play football or soccer. We’re the outcasts. We’re over here skateboarding, you know? Like football players hate us. And now we’re just being embraced, as you can see by this community, this global sports community. And it’s just amazing.”
At the other end of the spectrum was 11-year-old Zheng Haohao from China, the youngest athlete at Paris 2024 and the youngest ever to represent the People’s Republic of China. While she didn’t advance to the final, her coach Danny Wainwright was full of praise: “She has done great and she has worked hard.”
Wainwright offered insight into Zheng’s training regimen and personality: “She’s very academic. She loves to study. She loves to be writing. And she loves English study books. So if I make a checklist of all the tricks that she has to do, do those tricks three or five times in a row, she loves it.”
The coach also highlighted the fun side of working with such a young athlete: “We are always like playing jokes on each other. It’s like we have the same mental age; we just mess around and have fun.”
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