Skateboarder Tom Schaar is looking to add to his medal count at X Games Chiba
Schaar earned Olympic silver in men’s park at Paris 2024. He’s now going for his 13th X Games medal at X Games Chiba.
Skateboarding
At only 25, American skateboarder Tom Schaar, hailing from Malibu, California, already packs thirteen years of competition experience, including, most notably, an Olympic Games Paris 2024 silver medal in park.
Following his incredible Olympic performance, Schaar is back on the skateboarding competition circuit, making his 16th X Games appearance at X Games Chiba 2024, where he’s looking to add his 13th medal, and his chances are good as he betters his odds competing in three disciplines: vert, vert best trick and park.
Schaar kicked off his X Games Chiba campaign on Friday, 20 September, in dominant style, qualifying first in men’s park ahead of Australia's Kieran Woolley and the hometown favorite, Nagahara Yuro.
By weekend's end, he could add three more medals to his already impressive count. Find out more about this multidisciplinary skateboarder who shows no signs of slowing down.
Schaar’s competition successes leading up to Paris 2024 buoyed him to Olympic silver
Schaar started competing at X Games in 2012 at age 12. He earned his first gold medal in 2014 in big air, and followed with his second in vert a decade later in 2024. He also boasts four silver and six bronze medals across big air, big air doubles, vert, megapark and park.
Schaar kept a packed competition in the summer leading up to Paris 2024. He won a gold medal in vert at X Games Ventura 2024 only weeks after qualifying for Paris 2024 at the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) Budapest.
In 2021, Schaar had just missed qualifying for Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), finishing as the fourth-ranked American in men’s park. But his fortunes changed at the OQS Budapest, where he finished second in the Men’s Park final. Schaar explained the approach he took to the make-or-break contest where he needed to earn either first or second, saying, “I was trying to pretend this was like any other contest. It’s just skating.”
Schaar took that “it’s just skating” mentality and coasted right into X Games Ventura, where he earned that first vert gold medal. No doubt these results gave Schaar a confidence boost as he dropped into the park at Paris 2024 only weeks later.
Olympian Tom Schaar of Team United States poses on the Today Show Set on August 08, 2024 in Paris, France.
Tom Schaar is on a skateboard high heading into X Games Chiba
X Games Chiba will be Schaar’s second time competing at an X Games in Japan. His inaugural X Games Japan in 2023 signaled somewhat of a comeback for Schaar, as he won silver in skateboard vert. This marked his eighth X Games medal and a welcome return to the X Games podium after a nearly five-year absence going back to his skateboard park bronze at Minneapolis 2018.
Schaar had been struggling with a series of injuries that, while still allowing him to compete, were keeping him from performing at his best. That all seemed to change at X Games Chiba 2023, as he followed with a double bronze in park and megapark at X Games California 2023.
While Schaar is known as a multidisciplinary skateboarder competing in several disciplines at each X Games, he has yet to win medals in both park and vert at an X Games. With his recent podium finishes in both disciplines, his chances for multidisciplinary medals are looking good at Chiba.
How to Watch Tom Schaar at X Games Chiba
Every competition of the X Games will be streamed live worldwide on the official YouTube Channel, DAZN and Twitch. Details are available at XGames.com.
Japanese residents can catch the action via the host broadcaster Nippon TV. For local listings, check here.
*All times Japan Standard Time (+9 UTC)
Saturday, 21 September
- 12:00 - Men’s skateboarding vert final
Sunday, 22 September
- 11:50 - Men's skateboarding park final
- 13:00 - Men's skateboarding vert best trick