The sport was invented by Californian surfers in the 1950s.
DOHA (Qatar): After making its debut at the 1st ANOC World Beach Games here this year, skateboarding will make its entry at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Japan’s Sakura Yososumi and Kihana Ogawa demonstrated that they were ready for the Olympic Games next year while American from Hawaii and reigning world champion, Heimana Reynolds won the men’s gold medal in the park event.
“It has always been a dream since I’ve skated. To be so close is already a dream come true. It’s the reason I will continue to keep pushing, to keep fighting to be part of the team,” said Reynolds.
Sport is practiced by 20 million people
It has become an urban sport that is regularly practised by about 20 million people worldwide, most of whom are in the United States.
After the trial at the Youth Olympic Games, skateboarding will now join the programme of the Olympic Games in Tokyo as an additional sport.
It has also been chosen by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee to be included on the programme of its edition of the Games.
Two disciplines: Street and Park
Two disciplines have been selected for 2020: street and park. Twelve medals will be awarded (men’s and women’s), with 20 competitors in each category.
Street is practised on a course that replicates urban architecture, with inclines, stairs, curbs, park benches of various sizes and handrails.
Park is practised in a “bowl”, like an empty swimming pool, comprising curves and ramps of various heights. Athletes can use the curb-stones and the tubular metal rails installed on the curb stones to perform tricks.
Olympic Qualifiers
The Olympic qualifiers will take place over two seasons — 2019 and 2020.
The two best results from the 2019 seasons and the best five from the 2020 season will be counted.
The 2019 and 2020 World Championships offer the largest points coefficients. The top three in the ranking from the Worlds organised in May 2020 (in Nanjing, China, for park and in London, UK, for street) will qualify directly for the Games.
Each country can put forward a maximum of three athletes per event, and there will be a minimum of one representative per continent.
