Hangzhou, China, September 27, 2023: If anyone questions the place of skateboarding in the Olympic Games, they should have been at the Asian Games on Tuesday morning.
The weather was perfect – if a little on the hot side – and the venue was bright and crisp with the gleaming white tented village and distinctive flowing Asian Games colours.
Volunteers gave out bottles of water, caps to provide shelter from the sun and even a small, plastic fan to keep cool.
Tuesday was the final day of competition, the women’s and men’s street finals, and the young athletes fully deserved the attention and the applause they received from the crowd.
It was fun; it was young; it was a credit to Olympic sport and the Olympic spirit.
All the athletes cheered and congratulated each other, and every spectator winced in unison when a young skateboarder crashed to the concrete attempting a daredevil trick.
But there was no theatrical rolling around here and feigning injury. They got up and got on with it, determined to master the move the next time.
The format was well explained by the presenters, with the best of two runs counting towards the final total, along with two of the best five tricks.
This slick and smooth presentation is a big part of the appeal of skateboarding, as the commentator explains which move the athlete has completed, or attempted to complete.
It’s also a sport that attracts all – women and men, teens and kids. No matter your age, you cannot help but admire the skills and courage of the skateboarders, or the camaraderie of the competitors.
Nailing a trick was greeted with extravagant celebrations by the athlete, as only they know of the failed attempts, the blood and the tears in practice.
China’s Cui Chenxi, aged just 13, wowed the crowds with her gold medal performance after a series of brave and fearless runs down the street course. But the sport overall provided more evidence of its growing appeal and admiration of the young, brave athletes.