2024 Olympic skateboarding preview: USA, Japan, Australia competing for gold medals

The lads’s avenue occasion, which returns all three medalists from the Tokyo Olympics, will be the stiffest skateboarding competitors in Paris.

Japan’s expertise pool is staggering, with half of the highest 10 males’s avenue skaters being Japanese. This made it a feat in itself for Ginwoo Onodera, Sora Shirai, and defending Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome to comb the Olympic Qualifier Collection (OQS) occasion in Budapest final month and declare Japan’s three qualification spots.

Horigome and American Nyjah Huston have been the main gold medal favorites in Tokyo and are vying for a podium spot as soon as extra in Paris. Horigome could have received the OQS occasion in Budapest, however Huston has an equally spectacular monitor document. He received each avenue occasions at X Video games Ventura final month.

Shirai is hungry for redemption after inserting ninth and lacking the ultimate in Tokyo. “Paris is the one place I can get payback,” he informed Olympics.com. He’s set the stage for fulfillment by profitable the 2023 World Road Championships in Tokyo.

Onodera additionally shouldn’t be ignored. The 14-year-old skater has made a reputation for himself on the competitors circuit and just lately positioned second at each OQS occasions held this 12 months.

American Jagger Eaton received bronze on the Tokyo Video games on a damaged ankle. With a healed ankle and a latest win on the OQS occasion in Shanghai, Eaton is one other podium risk for the U.S.

Chris Joslin, 28, would be the third member of the U.S. group in males’s skateboard park.