Skateboarding is one of the most exciting events at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Although skateboarding is a relative newcomer to the games, it’s been a hit. Paris 2024 is showing us exactly why it is worth the watch.
The athletes competing are among the youngest in the Olympic games. In fact, the internet has noticed that the women skateboarders, in particular, are young athletes competing. The men’s street and park skaters who medaled are all under the age of 30. Scarily, that’s right around middle age where professional athletes overall are concerned. Meanwhile, all the medalists in the women’s competitions are between the ages of 14 and 16.
@nbcsports 14-YEAR-OLD Arisa Trew just won GOLD in the women’s park skateboarding final! 🤯 #ParisOlympics #skateboarding #skate #arisatrew #olympics ♬ original sound – NBC Sports
Some question how safe it is for these young athletes to be under so much pressure. Others argue they’re the most regular-seeming of all the young athletes competing across other sports. There is no official minimum age for these competitors.
In women’s park, Sky Brown (16, UK) won the bronze, Kokona Hiraki (15, Japan) won the silver, and Arisa Trew (15, Australia) won the gold. In women’s street, Rayssa Leal (16, Brazil) won the bronze, Liz Akama (15, Japan) won the silver, and Coco Yoshizawa (14, Japan) won the gold.
The youngest athlete competing in skateboarding—Zheng Haohao of China—was the youngest Olympic athlete overall this year. At 11 years old, she was beaten for youngest Olympian of all time only by a Greek gymnast, Dimitrios Loundras, who competed in 1896 Athens.
@nbcolympics Japan’s Cocona Hiraki had to go BIG to win her second straight women’s park skateboarding silver medal, and that’s exactly what she did! 💪 #ParisOlympics #coconahiraki #skateboarding #skate ♬ original sound – NBC Olympics & Paralympics
Of course, skateboarding isn’t the only sport where the athletes are commonly younger. That said, one TikToker has explained why the circumstances around it seem different with skaters. Here’s why young skateboarders are thought to be more common.
Why are Olympic skateboarders so young? TikTok has a theory
One TikToker has explained what she thinks is the reason behind the young skateboarders dominating the Olympic games.
@hazza.freecs They just love gardening so much! #olympics #skateboarding ♬ Apple – Charli xcx
“If you’re watching Olympic skateboarding and you’re wondering why every single competitor is like a 15-year-old kid, it’s because the Olympics have rules against gardening,” she said, using a TikTok favorite codeword to render to marijuana use.
“They don’t like it, and you’re not allowed to compete if you do it, and no adult skateboarder is gonna stop gardening for the Olympics. That’s just not how they roll,” she reasoned.
“That’s why the X Games exist. There’s just so many other ways to be a professional skateboarder that it’s not worth it to them to stop gardening for the Olympics.”
She made sure to add, “And that’s not to take away from how fucking awesome these kids are. These kids are insane skateboarding, but that’s the reason there’s no adults in skateboarding competitions in the Olympics.”
However, there are some other reasons to explain the young skaters
While the gardening theory is pretty compelling, others have presented reasons why the young athletes in skateboarding are even younger than the athletes competing in other sports.
@sbsnews_au Aged 14 years and 86 days, Arisa Trew won the women’s park skateboard event in Paris on Tuesday to become Australia’s youngest Olympic gold medallist – and her friends on the Gold Coast went wild. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).
♬ original sound – SBS News
As The New York Times noted, “There is no performative femininity in skateboarding.” Because of this, the youth of the competitors is more striking and noticeable. However, the rise in skateparks — a free, often local third place that is still welcoming to youth — internationally is a major factor. It has helped the sport spread far and wide, coupled with the internet helping make learning the skill more accessible overall.
There are also physical advantages to being young and physically smaller. This presents an advantage with tricks that require being airborne and dexterous. The advantages that are present in the sport for younger skateboarders aren’t necessarily there in other sports. It’s easier to maneuver, and younger athletes tend to be more fearless.
As some Redditors have also noted, “the women’s scene is relatively new compared to the men’s.
Comment
byu/Impossible-Ruin3214 from discussion
inolympics
By a country mile the coolest Olympians are these young skateboarders. Holy moly. pic.twitter.com/ViSd6e1rJE
— Russell Bolam (@RealRusselBolam) August 6, 2024
@chromespinnin RAYSSA LEAL IS THAT GIRL 🌟🇧🇷💙 How’s my Portugese? 🙃 #rayssaleal #nikesb #nikesbdunk #skateboarding #olympics #brazil #brasil #olympicskateboarding #fyp #sneakers #nicekicks @Nike ♬ brazil – instrumental – no/vox & karaokey
I’m totally impressed by the age of the Female Skateboarders in the Olympics. How can they be that young and so good at a sport? Very impressive.
— Christopher™ (@ChrisBrandt8) August 7, 2024
@juliahandra0 Reply to @dgriff20 and their uniforms are SO GOOD! 🛹 #lgbtq #lesbian #gay #olympics #skateboarding #fyp ♬ original sound – snushavenltd
I grew up skateboarding in Southern California – the “hot bed” of skateboarding according to Olympics announcers. Across hundreds (if not thousands) of sessions, I can count on one hand how many times I ran into another girl at the skatepark.
— ashley (@ashr0se) August 6, 2024
The sport has come so far, and…
Just want to say some of the other sports could take a cue from the young girls in the #skateboarding – so often with the other sports, there’s a really cold, strict atmosphere and vibe that emanates thru the screen, but the skateboarders literally just act like teens. #olympics
— Thrash ‘n Treasure (@thrashntreasure) August 7, 2024
Olympic Skateboarding always gets me emotional. The way these young girls are all so supportive of one another, not afraid to show their emotions, and are all doing amazing in a male dominated sport. I love to see it.
— Rachel (@Rachystephy) August 6, 2024
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