United States’ Jagger Eaton Takes Men's First Street Bronze as Skateboarding Makes Olympic Debut

Tokyo, Japan (July 25, 2021) —  History was made today at Tokyo’s Ariake Park with the debut of skateboarding in the 2020 Olympic Games, and  Arizona’s Jagger Eaton bringing home the first Olympic medal for the United States. Eaton was the first skater in the first heat to drop in at today’s semi-finals and maintained his lead throughout all four heats. Eaton posted a final round score of 35.35, 0.8 behind the 36.15 points by Brazil’s Kelvin Hoefler. Yuto Horigome of Japan gave the host nation the honor of winning the first gold medal presented in the sport by scoring 37.18. 

“To be able to have skateboarding on this

pedestal where it is now and being able to have all these eyes on it, it makes me so happy because skating brings so much joy,” Eaton said about the Olympic debut of skateboarding. “And to be able to do this and take home a bronze for Team USA and be the first skateboarder on earth to do this, my pride is just through the roof, and I’m so proud of Team USA and the battle that we went through these past few years to get here, and I feel blessed to take this home to Arizona.”  

Josh Friedberg, USA Skateboarding CEO: “Skateboarding’s debut in the Olympic Games looked and felt like the skateboarding we know and love, and the results only emphasize what an incredibly difficult undertaking it is to compete at this level. Congrats to Yuto Horigome and Kelvin Hoefler on their Gold and Silver medals, and congrats to Jagger Eaton on making history as the first-ever American Olympic Skateboarding medalist with his Bronze today. While these three were on the podium, skateboarding truly won today! “

Hailing from Mesa, Arizona, Jagger Eaton has limitless talent and versatility, as evidenced by his switching to the USA Skateboarding Men’s Park National Team this year after making the Men’s Street team in 2020. Add to that his many top-5 finishes in Big Air competition, and it’s clear why Jagger is one of the most progressive and technical skateboarders the sport has ever seen. In 2012, at 11 years old, Jagger set the Guinness World Record as the youngest ever X Games competitor and has continued to grow into a powerhouse. In 2017, he dominated the X Games, sweeping the gold medal in both the Skateboard Am Street and Park events. In 2018, Jagger pulled a global 1-2 by winning the Tampa Pro contest in Florida as a rookie, then traveling to Estonia to win the Simple Sessions Street contest, to Norway for a 2nd-place finish at the X Games, and finally returning to the US to take 2nd at both the Dew Tour Street in Long Beach, California and the X Games in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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About USA Skateboarding

As the recognized governing body for skateboarding in the United States, USA Skateboarding (USAS) is responsible for the selection, training, and fielding of national teams that compete in the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, and other sanctioned team events. USAS is also responsible for the development of youth skateboarding initiatives that support grassroots programs, education, licensing, and safety while respecting and enhancing the existing culture of skateboarding in the United States. USAS is dedicated to promoting and supporting the sport of Skateboarding while striving to guarantee that Skateboarding continues to provide the unique characteristics relevant to the sport's participants, and maintaining the integrity and authenticity of Skateboarding as a sport, a passion, and a lifestyle.

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