By Amy Tennery and Mimosa Spencer
PARIS (Reuters) – The 20-something medallists at the Paris Olympic men’s street skateboarding said they were hanging onto their sport for dear life, fighting to keep up with the next generation a day after a trio of teens swept the podium on the women’s side.
Japan’s Yuto Horigome, 25, held off a pair of Americans, 23-year-old second-place finisher Jagger Eaton and 29-year-old Nyjah Huston, who took bronze, with his last trick to retain his title in a nailbiter final at La Concorde on Monday.
Asked what it would mean to compete on his home turf at the Los Angeles Games in four years time, Huston offered a sobering self-assessment: “I’m going to be 33.”
For Huston, who had surgery after rupturing his ACL two years ago, getting to the Games this time around was an accomplishment in and of itself in an unforgiving sport where longevity is a rare commodity.
“It’s really tough on the body,” said Huston, a six-time world championship winner.
“Qualifying for the Olympics and making finals and having any chance to win against all these young guys – man, it’s not easy.”
Eaton, the 23-year-old silver medallist who won bronze in Tokyo, said he would try to make it to a third Games but that the young talent coming up was undeniable.
“To think about LA already is stressful – it’s a lot,” he said. “There are a lot of young guns. I’ve got a younger brother who’s going to try to qualify, so we’ve got a lot of people to get through.”
Olympic skateboarding will continue with the women’s and men’s park events on Aug. 6 and 7.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Paris; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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