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AP Photo/Dar Yasin Yuto Horigome, of Japan, embraces his coach after performing the final trick during the men’s skateboard street final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France.
By Atsushi Ueda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
17:55 JST, July 30, 2024
PARIS — Yuto Horigome’s resilience was on display in the men’s street skateboarding at the Paris Games on Monday, as the 25-year-old Olympic champion made a huge comeback from seventh place to retain his title.
His dramatic victory drew loud cheers from the audience and respect from other athletes who competed against him.
The skateboarders were judged on how well they controlled their board during two 45-second runs and five tricks. The highest run score and the two highest trick scores were added together to determine the score and ranking for each round.
Horigome put everything into his final trick amid great tension, landing smoothly after performing a high-difficulty move. Usually so quiet, Horigome shouted after he completed the trick.
His score was 97.08, the highest of the competition. Japanese national team director Takashi Nishikawa kept repeating: “It’s impossible. It’s impossible. It’s impossible.”
Horigome hugged his coach, Daisuke Hayakawa, and raised his left hand high in the sky. “I’m glad I believed in myself,” the skateboarder said.
None of the athletes who went after Horigome could beat his score. As the crowd applauded and cheered for the reigning champion, his father Ryota, 49, was in tears in the audience.
Three years ago, the Tokyo Olympics were held in their hometown of Koto Ward, Tokyo, but there were no spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ryota couldn’t bring himself to watch his son’s performance on TV, so he distracted himself by riding his bicycle and didn’t see the moment Horigome won the gold.
This time, after seeing Horigome struggle in the qualifying, Ryota decided to go to the venue and cheer him on as family. “Yuto seemed to want me to come,” he said. Horigome’s performance is burned into his memory.
It’s been 19 years since Ryota taught his 6-year-old son how to skateboard. “There are no words. He’s exceeded our expectations by so much. When I started, I never thought he would get to this level,” he said.
Fellow competitor Sora Shirai, 22, shook hands with Horigome and congratulated him. Shirai finished a disappointing fourth but praised Horigome’s effort.
“As the returning champion, he was under a lot of pressure, but he was able to hit that move in that situation. Yuto is impressive,” Shirai said.
Horigome said: “I couldn’t have done it alone. The support of my family, friends and fans was the key to my final trick.”
