Skateboarding is a young and spectacular sport that developed in the US in the 1950s as surf culture was taking off. It was then part of the underground, alternative culture of the 1980s, going hand in hand with the values of freedom, rebellion and thrill-seeking. The sport continued to develop and became more widely accessible at the start of the 21st century, proving a huge hit among younger audiences.
Brief overview of the rules
The world’s greatest skateboarders will face each other at the Olympic Games, competing in the two most popular and spectacular disciplines: park and street. Athletes must carry out their most impressive tricks, meeting criteria for the degree of difficulty, speed and range of moves.
The events consist of two rounds: prelims and finals.
The park competition takes place on a varied course combining bowls and numerous bends, which the athletes use to gather speed and perform tricks mid-air.
The skateboarders are judged by the height and speed of the tricks they carry out during jumps, as well as their capacity to use the entire surface and all obstacles. They perform three 45‑second runs, with the best of three counting as their final round score.
Street events take place on a straight ‘street-like’ course with stairs, handrails, etc. set up to resemble the urban environments where skateboarding started out. Athletes perform a range of tricks and are also judged on how they control their board during the two 45‑second runs and five tricks they carry out.
Olympic history
After making its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, skateboarding will once again be on the programme for Paris 2024, taking place at the famous Place de La Concorde in the heart of the French capital.
