Japan’s Yuto Horigome wins second Olympic gold medal in men’s street skateboarding

PARIS (AP) — Yuto Horigome was not even thinking about the podium this time. The first men’s street skateboarding champion when the sport debuted in the Olympics in 2021, he was so far back going into his final try that it looked as if he would fall short.

Instead, the 25-year-old from Japan landed the best trick of the competition to pass Americans Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston for a repeat title.

Horigome scored a 97.08 on Monday to vault into first and secure back-to-back gold medals. He beat Eaton by just 0.1 points in a thrilling finish in front of a charged-up crowd that was much different than the empty stands in Tokyo three years ago.

“It means everything,” Horigome said. “It feels like a dream, a living dream. It’s crazy. Tokyo, no one was there, no crowds, so I’m very happy this time (with) all the fans here. It’s a special moment.”

Eaton and Huston each sat in first place during the final. Eaton was in gold medal position until Horigome finished a trick known as a nollie 270 to nosebluntside — similar to the one the Arizona native did minutes earlier to get into that spot.

“The roller coaster I was I thought I won, and then I got off the ride,” Eaton said. “Yuto, it’s all respect. I feel like at that level, between first, second and third, you could’ve picked anybody to win.”

Huston said of Horigome: “I don’t think Yuto feels fear or pressure. He definitely doesn’t feel pressure.”

As for how the 29-year-old longtime X Games star was feeling, it was mixed emotions after a disappointing seventh-place finish in Tokyo. With Snoop Dogg — who has quickly become one of the celebrity faces of this Games — in attendance, Huston nailed his second run with the Snoop and Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.” playing on speakers around La Concorde Urban Park.

But then came the end, when he and Eaton had one final chance to springboard Horigome and claim gold. Each wiped out in the final two jumps of the day.

“I was close to getting that gold, and I’m truly mad at myself for just not putting that last trick down because I know it’s something I can do,” Huston said, acknowledging a bit of redemption. “But it’s hard to put down those tricks in those moments.”

It was even harder because of the elite level of skateboarding going on, even among those who finished lower in the final. Canada’s Cornado Russell, who had three tricks scored over 92 but was out of medal condition because of two unsuccessful runs, had some high praise for what this street event represented for the sport.

“It’s the future,” Russell said. “It’s the future of skateboarding. This is one of the best ones. There’s many more to come.”

This competition was scheduled for Saturday, but the same rain that soaked the opening ceremony down the Seine River — then much more overnight and into the morning — caused it to be postponed. World Skate cited adverse weather conditions for the move, and it was one of a handful of outdoor events affected over the weekend before the skies cleared.

Sunny, warm weather greeted the skateboarders Monday, with temperatures hovering around 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) late in the preliminary round and throughout the final. The stands remained packed despite the heat and France’s Vincent Milou and Aurélien Giraud not making it through the prelims.

“I was really upset to not see any of the French guys in the final, which is kind of a bummer,” Eaton said.

Also falling short of the final were 14-year-old Japan skateboarder Ginwoo Onodera, who was making his Olympic debut, and Chris Joslin from the U.S., who had an off day.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games