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PARIS (AP) — Profitable back-to-back Olympic golds was nearly overwhelming for Keegan Palmer, with legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk praising his work and within the bowl on the watching.
“Wild, loopy feeling dude!” Palmer stated Wednesday after defending the park title he gained in Tokyo three years in the past. “To have the ability to say I’m a two-time Olympian, not to mention two-time Olympic gold medalist, is a loopy, loopy feeling. I actually can’t consider it.”
The 21-year-old skateboarder from Australia’s Gold Coast scored a 93.11 to safe his second gold medal.
His efficiency wowed a crowd that included Hawk, Snoop Dogg and U.S. basketball star Devin Booker. Palmer appeared nearly as enthusiastic about Snoop Dogg being within the stadium as he did concerning the {hardware} draped round his neck.
“I noticed him after I landed my first run,” he stated, “I pulled out my digital camera and needed to begin filming him.”
Palmer led within the prelims Wednesday after which all through the finals after posting the highest rating on the primary of his three runs.
He’d already secured the victory earlier than his last run and fell after additionally crashing on his second run. However his magnificent first run was all he wanted to go house with one other gold medal.
American Tom Schaar posted a 92.23 on his second run to win silver. He opened the finals with a 90.11 earlier than finishing tougher tips on his subsequent go to safe second place.
Schaar, who is sweet mates with Palmer, loved the camaraderie of the ultimate.
“Cherished simply having the ability to skate with my mates,” Schaar stated. “That’s what we do again house and that’s what skateboarding is meant to be about.”
Brazil’s Augusto Akio gained bronze with a rating of 91.85 on his last run. He entertained the gang by juggling earlier than the prelims and did one other routine after the primary spherical whereas holding his skateboard in his mouth.
He narrowly held off his teammate Pedro Barros, who scored 91.65 to complete fourth.
Hawk, one of many sport’s biggest pioneers and the primary to land the aerial 900-degree maneuver, raved about Palmer’s abilities.
“He can do the toughest vertical strikes on smaller transitions,” he stated. “And what I like about him is that he’s taking probably the most technical vert strikes and doing them on this setting as a result of I really feel like vert is absolutely lacking from these Video games as a self-discipline and Keegan brings the Vert. So does Tom.”
Palmer beamed when advised of that evaluation.
“We wouldn’t be right here if it wasn’t for Tony,” he stated. “A few of my tips on my run Tony invented. We wouldn’t have occasions in skateboarding like this if Tony by no means did that 900 again within the day and he simply exploded skateboarding for us. We owe rather a lot to him.”
American Tate Carew, who entered the competitors at No. 1 within the World Skate rankings, completed fifth with a 91.17. It appeared as if he’d beat that rating and get onto the rostrum on his third run, however he fell with 14 seconds left to finish his day.
Italy’s Alex Sorgente was sixth at 84.26, Brazil’s Luigi Cini acquired seventh with a 76.89 and Australia’s Keefer Wilson was eighth with a 58.36.
American Gavin Bottger, who gained gold eventually 12 months’s World Skateboarding Championship, was eradicated after ending tenth within the prelims with a rating of 86.95.
Others who didn’t make the finals had been 51-year-old .
Macdonald made historical past because the oldest skateboarder to compete within the Olympics. He and Oberholzer are the older guys in a contest the place the youngest entrant is 16-year-old Viktor Solmunde of Denmark.
Macdonald completed 18th with a rating of 77.66 and Oberholzer was final with a 33.83. He additionally completed final in Tokyo.
“Individuals are like: ‘Are you going for the gold?’ And I’m like: In the event that they’re freely giving gold medals for whoever has probably the most enjoyable, I acquired it wrapped up,” Macdonald stated. “I undoubtedly gained the gold medal for many enjoyable.”
Palmer’s victory gave Australia its second skateboarding gold in as many days after , changing into the nation’s youngest ever Olympic champion.
“We’re the king and queen of skateboarding park proper now,” Palmer stated. “And we each grew up in the identical city, so Gold Coast is holding it down proper now.”
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AP Summer season Olympics:
This text initially appeared on www.aol.com: www.aol.com https://www.aol.com/australias-keegan-palmer-repeats-olympic-165052115.html
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