With more than 460 athletes competing across 42 Olympic events, it’s safe to say that Team Australia is in good standing to take home some gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
But it’s our youngest team of athletes, in one of the newest sports on the Olympic program that might be one of our best opportunities for a podium finish.
Comprised of nine talented athletes, the Australian skateboarders are arriving in Paris with a wealth of international success behind them.
Who are the Australian skateboarders competing at the Olympics?
When the team was first announced in late June, Australian Olympic Team Deputy Chef de Mission Kenny Wallace said he was “sure this team will have the whole country supporting them.”
“These skaters have shown they can perform at an elite level and head into the Games with a strong momentum.”
Reigning Olympic champion Keegan Palmer was only 18 when he won gold in Tokyo, and now he’s set to secure his legacy in France at 21.
Also returning for his second Olympics are 20-year-old Kieran Wooley and 34-year-old Shane O’Neill, both of whom will be working hard to emulate the success of their teammate.
For Keiran, he says he is “beyond stoked” to represent the green and gold once more. However, O’Neill sadly bowed out of the men’s Street Skateboarding on July 29 after he finished with a score of 107.50, putting him outside of the top eight finalists.
Speaking of skateboarding success, the team is also comprised of some talented teenagers who topped the Olympic Qualifying Series in June and have secured some World Championship wins of their own.
When she puts down her board in Paris, Arisa Trew will be the seventh youngest Australian Olympian (and the youngest since swimmer Dimity Douglas in Los Angeles in 1984) at the age of 14.
Her fellow teen teammates include 15-year-old Ruby Trew (not related) and 17-year-old Keefer Wilson who will all be making their Olympic debuts – talk about impressive!
Ruby says it was “thrilling” and an “amazing achievement” to qualify for the Australian skateboarding team at such a young age.
“This has been a great journey not just for me but for all my teammates. We’ve worked so hard to get to this moment so we all really want to enjoy it and support each other, it’ll be amazing in Paris.”
Keefer added that going to the Olympics was a “dream come true.”
“It’s so great to see the hard work has paid off.”
Joining them for their momentous first Olympic appearance were Chloe Covell (14), Haylie Powell (18), and Liv Lovelace (20).
Sadly, all three girls were unable to land the tricks needed to claim a podium place in the final when they competed on July 28 and July 29.
Where is skateboarding in Paris in 2024?
The skateboarding events will be taking place in the heart of Paris at La Concorde from Saturday, July 27 to Monday, July 30 for Street, and from Tuesday, August 6 to Wednesday, August 8 for Park.
Street events see competitors take part in a course with stairs, curbs, slopes, and rails. Park events see competitors use bowls and pools in a complex combination with ramps and course bends. All athletes will be judged on the degree of difficulty of tricks and consistency in completing tricks in the overall routine.
Is skateboarding an official Olympic sport?
Skateboarding became an official Olympic sport in 2020 at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Five Australian athletes competed including Shane O’Neill, Hayley Wilson, Poppy Olsen, Kieran Wooley, and Keegan Palmer who became our first Olympic medallist in the sport.
