SHANGHAI, CHINA – MAY 19: USA’s Jaguar Eaton reacts during a game… [+] Skateboarding men’s park final on the 4th day of the Olympic Qualification Series Shanghai held on May 19, 2024 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
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In the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, American skateboarder Jagger Eaton will become the first skateboarder to not only compete in both disciplines (street and park) in a single Olympics, but also to podium in each. We have a special goal of making history by becoming.
Skateboarding has only been to the Olympics once before, so how historic is this goal? That’s true, but what Eaton hopes to accomplish is Deaf or otherwise, this is a rarity for the competitive skateboarding world as a whole.
Skateboarding is not built to allow athletes to compete in multiple disciplines. Events often schedule practice for the park during the street finals, and vice versa. Eaton’s goal requires hard work and resilience, not to mention logistical support.
“I have to do things completely differently,” Eaton told me in April. “There’s no comparison to what I do every day or what skaters who participate in one event do. In order to skate both disciplines every day, you have to be more rigorous and disciplined. I have to.”
Eaton, 23, took a big step toward his ultimate goal this weekend in the first match of the Olympic Qualification Series (OQS) in Shanghai, China. New for the 2024 Olympics, his OQS will play a big role in determining which BMX freestyle, breaking, skateboarding and sport climbing athletes qualify for Paris.
The points the athletes earn in Shanghai, together with the world rankings leading up to the Games and the points they can earn at the second OQS event in Budapest in June, will contribute to their Olympic qualification.
For the U.S. Olympic Skateboard Team, qualification scores are weighted by 33.3% of the 2022-2024 World Skating Rankings, 33.3% of the Shanghai OQS, and 33.3% of the Budapest OQS.
Entering OQS Shanghai, Eaton was ranked No. 2 in the World Park Rankings, making him the second American to do so behind Gavin Bottger. She was ranked 12th in the world on the street, but she was second in the American rankings behind Nyjah Huston.
At the historic show in Shanghai, Eaton finished on the podium in both park and street competitions, finishing third in park and first in street.
SHANGHAI, CHINA – MAY 19: US bronze medalist Jagger Eaton poses for a photo during the competition. [+] The medal ceremony for the men’s skateboard park finals will be held in Shanghai, China on May 19, 2024. (Photo by Lingtao Zhang/Getty Images)
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Illustrating how difficult it is to compete at the top level in two different disciplines, Eaton could barely enjoy his street victory before rushing out of the arena to prepare for the Park final two hours later. .
“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders knowing that I can compete at this level five days in a row,” Eaton said, according to the Olympic Information Service (OIS).
“I definitely proved that it’s possible, but the question is can I repeat it? I’m very optimistic. My skating feels incredibly good.”
Eaton is currently ranked No. 2 in the world in the park event, and is the second American to do so after Tate Carew, who won at the Shanghai Games. On the street, Eaton is ranked No. 2 in the world and tops the U.S. by about 2,000 points over Houston.
Athletes can earn up to 210,000 points for park rankings and 260,000 points for street rankings at each OQS stop.
The Olympic qualifying period ends on June 23rd, and USA Skateboarding plans to announce its Olympic team shortly thereafter. The total points at the end of the qualifying event will determine each country’s spot from a total of 88 players (44 in each park and street), with his one spot in each event reserved for host France.
Thanks in particular to his impressive performance in Shanghai, Eaton is well on his way to making the U.S. team in both disciplines.
