Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for influential leaders to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Sabatino Aracu, president of World Skate, shares insights on the preparations for Paris 2024 and the growing appeal of skateboarding among the youth. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
The excitement surrounding skateboarding continues to build during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Skateboarding rapidly evolved from a fad during its first boom in the 1960s, to the center of mainstream youth culture in the early 2000s. Skateboarding is as much an art as it is a sport; the fun and freedom of expression bestowed on those willing to step on a board is rewarding for all, regardless of ability, age, gender, socio-economic status, or ethnicity.
Preparations for Paris 2024
World Skate has done a lot of preparation for its second Olympic Games in Paris, following the success of skateboarding's debut in Tokyo 2020, with street and park events. We were part of the Road to Paris championship for street skateboarders (World Street Skateboarding Rome 2022) that started at the iconic skatepark in Colle Oppio right before the Colosseum in Rome, in 2022, and then we had our athletes competing in Tokyo, Lausanne, San Juan, Dubai, Sharjah, and Ostia, a district in Rome. Over the last four years, the level of competitions has increased exponentially, and we look forward to an amazing show at the Place de la Concorde, the venue of all the urban sports disciplines (Basketball 3x3, BMX Freestyle, Breaking, Skateboarding Street and Skateboarding Park) for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Maintaining momentum post-Olympics
The inclusion of skateboarding in the Olympics has undoubtedly boosted its popularity. World Skate plans to sustain this momentum through various means. Skateboarding has a history that spans different generations, and today it mainly excites the very young and families. Both figures on social media and the number of athletes' followers show a steady growth. Our goal is to continue, through the World Skateboarding Tour, to bring this sport to the center of cities, among young people. The competition facilities will be left to the host cities as a legacy for local communities. In this way, the sport grows and so does its popularity in every corner of the globe.
Engaging the youth
The accessibility, urban appeal, and inclusivity of skateboarding have contributed to its growing popularity among young people. Young kids watch the world champions, are inspired by the athletes' skills, and buy skateboards. They begin to try and train their tricks, and if they have a skatepark near their homes – in addition to their dedication – they may become the champions of the future. The skateboarding community is also inclusive and always supportive; skaters support each other and encourage each other. It is a sport full of unique values, and this attracts young people and those that observe this sport from the outside.
Roos Zwetsloot of the Netherlands competes during the women's street preliminaries of skateboarding at the Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest in Budapest, Hungary, June 21, 2024. /Xinhua
Nurturing young talent globally
World Skate is committed to nurturing young talent worldwide through various initiatives. It has several projects that aim to grow the global community. One is the Youth Athlete Development (YAD) program. With Olympic Solidarity, we helped athletes from disadvantaged countries to participate in the stops of our Olympic qualification tour. We firmly believe that the Olympic dream must be accessible to everyone.
Additionally, World Skate assists cities in building skateparks, which serve as vital community hubs. Another goal for World Skate is to help cities in the construction of skateparks: with a dedicated department, we support municipalities in designing their own skateparks to high quality and design standards. A skatepark changes the look of a city. We saw it in Ostia, where in a degraded neighborhood the skatepark took kids off the streets and brought them to practice sports. This is an unprecedented urban and social regeneration.
An inspiring story
There is a particularly inspiring story that underscores the impact of World Skate's initiatives. Thanks to our supporting activities and the YAD program, the Olympic dream of a Colombian athlete, Jazmin Alvarez, became a reality. She had to fight against male chauvinism in her city district, which prevented her from practicing skateboarding. She spent one year in our program and achieved an amazing result by qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics!
It is clear that the efforts of World Skate are not only preparing athletes for the Olympic competition but also fostering a vibrant and inclusive global skateboarding community.
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