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

The men’s street event, which returns all three medalists from the Tokyo Olympics, may be the stiffest skateboarding competition in Paris.

Japan’s talent pool is staggering, with half of the top 10 men’s street skaters being Japanese. This made it a feat in itself for Ginwoo Onodera, Sora Shirai, and defending Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome to sweep the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) event in Budapest last month and claim Japan’s three qualification spots.

Horigome and American Nyjah Huston were the leading gold medal favorites in Tokyo and are vying for a podium spot once more in Paris. Horigome may have won the OQS event in Budapest, but Huston has an equally impressive track record. He won both street events at X Games Ventura last month.

Shirai is hungry for redemption after placing ninth and missing the final in Tokyo. “Paris is the only place I can get payback,” he told Olympics.com. He’s set the stage for success by winning the 2023 World Street Championships in Tokyo.

Onodera also shouldn’t be overlooked. The 14-year-old skater has made a name for himself on the competition circuit and recently placed second at both OQS events held this year.

American Jagger Eaton won bronze at the Tokyo Games on a broken ankle. With a healed ankle and a recent win at the OQS event in Shanghai, Eaton is another podium threat for the U.S.

Chris Joslin, 28, will be the third member of the U.S. team in men’s skateboard park.