Skateboarding: What is the Olympic Qualifier Series?
Superstars such as Nyjah Huston, Sky Brown, Chloe Covell, Rayssa Leal and Momiji Nishiya are riding high in the rankings ahead of the shakedown events in Shanghai and Budapest that will decide the Paris 2024 qualifiers, but Olympic medallists, among others, are feeling nervy.
Skateboarding
The final decisive points for skateboarding at Paris 2024 are up for grabs at the IOC-hosted Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) between May and June.
The newly introduced qualifiers, which also include BMX freestyle, breaking, and sport climbing, will take place in Shanghai from 16-19 May, and Budapest from 20-30 June in festival-like atmospheres combining music, fashion and art, where athletes from all four sports will compete in one urban park to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
For skateboarders specifically, those invited to the showdown will be the athletes selected by name from the Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings (OWSR) as of 5 March (Park) and 11 March 2024 (Street) following the conclusion of all eligible events.
These include World Championships, Pro Tour events, and five- and three-star events.
The skateboarding competition at Paris 2024, will feature a total of 88 skaters, comprised of 22 male and 22 female skaters per event – in street and park – who will compete under the watchful gaze of the Eiffel Tower perusing La Concorde Urban Park below.
France are guaranteed four quotas as hosts – one for each of the disciplines – and a universality quota per discipline will be allocated by the Tripartite Commission of the IOC, to ensure representation from under-represented countries.
The remaining 80 quota places are what are now at stake.
Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can secure a maximum of 12 quota places – three for men and three for women in each of the events that take place in Paris on 27-28 July (street) and 6-7 August (park).
The Olympic Qualifier Series is the culmination of the qualification process.
- As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC
- Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
Where do the skateboarding athletes stand in the rankings (as at 21 February 2024)?
Currently top of the men's street rankings, skateboarding icon Nyjah Huston is making good on his quest for an Olympic gold, by taking things one step at a time, and making sure of qualification. Favourite to win the sport's Olympic debut event, the American came up short, finishing seventh.
The honour went to home favourite Yuto Horigome, who sits seventh in the current rankings, but interestingly, behind three of his compatriots. The strength-in-depth in the Japanese team means there will be fearsome competition at the OQS series due to the three-per-country rule.
Similarly, Huston's fellow American, and Olympic bronze medallist, Jagger Eaton is currently ranked 11th but has a number of compatriots breathing down his neck as they head toward the Olympic qualifier.
In the women's street rankings, the 1-2 from the podium in Tokyo – Olympic champion Momiji Nishiya of Japan and Brazilian superstar Rayssa Leal – are replicating the double act in the OWSR.
However, inspired by Japan's spectacular showing at their homes Games no doubt, six Japanese skateboarders sit in the top 10, including Olympic bronze medallist Funa Nakayama, who would miss out on a second Olympics if she is unable to change her current ranking of sixth, behind three of her compatriots.
Australia phenom, Chloe Covell sits contentedly in fourth, with the next Aussie, Haylie Powell, currently 17th.
In the women's park event, Britain's Sky Brown is again locked out by two Japanese competitors, like she was on the podium in Japan, sitting third but comfortably looking to qualify for her second Games, while Hiraki Cocona, silver medallist in Tokyo and 2023 world champion, currently tops the rankings.
Jagger Eaton looks set to double up on the two skateboarding disciplines as he's currently top of the pile in the men's park discipline.
Defending Olympic champion Keegan Palmer is safely ensconced top of the Aussies, in ninth, while Pedro Barros – second in Tokyo, is third amongst the Brazilians.
Tokyo bronze medallist Cory Juneau has it all to do, however, with nine of his compatriots currently ahead of him in the rankings.
And these are just some of the headlines in the skateboarding series. The showdown in all sports in the OQS are going to be epic.
"I think the Olympic Qualifier Series is going to be a unique experience because, usually, when we qualify, it's just skateboarding only," commented American street skateboarder, Jake Ilardi who finished 11th in Japan and sits 34th on the rankings behind five of his compatriots heading into the qualifier series.
"I think it will be cool to take a break from the competition, watch the other athletes, see how they prepare, see what they’re bringing to the table. It will be a good time, and I think it will be a precursor to Paris 2024, giving us a taste of what's to come."
The Olympic Qualifier Series will represent the final milestone in the athletes' journeys towards Paris 2024, serving as the ultimate qualification stage via final ranking points earned for skateboarding.
- Huangpu Riverside, Shanghai: 16-19 May 2024
- Ludovika Campus, Budapest: 20-23 June 2024