American Jagger Eaton moved two steps closer to qualifying for both Paris Olympic skateboarding events on Sunday.
Eaton, a 23-year-old from Arizona, won the street final and placed third in the park final a few hours later at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai.
“It’s such a weight lifted off my shoulders, knowing that I can handle this level of contest (including preliminary rounds) for five days in a row,” Eaton said, according to the Olympic Information Service (OIS). “I walked in here not knowing if I could, I stayed the course even when I felt like I couldn’t do it, and I’m just grateful.”
Olympic skateboarding qualifying is three-pronged: 20 men and 20 women will make it to Paris per event (maximum three per country) through world rankings.
Ranking points are split evenly from three sets of competitions: a two-year-long series of international events including world championships, the first Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai and the second Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest from June 20-23.
Eaton, who took street bronze in skateboarding’s Olympic debut in Tokyo (on a broken ankle), is bidding to make the Paris team in park and street. No skateboarders competed in both events in Tokyo.
“I definitely proved that it can be done, but the question is, can it be repeated?” Eaton said, according to the OIS. “I’m very optimistic. My skating feels unbelievable. I feel like if I did a bit of recovery right now I could go skate street for the rest of the day, or go play some golf.”
Eaton went into Shanghai in strong position already, ranked second in global qualifying in park and 10th in street (when excluding two of the five Japanese skateboarders ranked ahead of him, since a nation can qualify a maximum of three).
American Tate Carew is also in position to make his first Olympic team after winning the men’s park final in Shanghai on Sunday.
American Nyjah Huston, a six-time world champion in street, went into Shanghai ranked second in Olympic street qualifying and finished fifth on Sunday to maintain strong position to make it to Paris.
The Olympic Qualifier Series also includes events in BMX freestyle, breaking and sport climbing that will determine Paris qualifiers after Budapest.
In BMX freestyle, Hannah Roberts, a five-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, was fourth in Saturday’s final as the top American, moving into Olympic qualifying position going into Budapest.
American Brooke Raboutou, who was fifth in sport climbing’s Olympic debut in Tokyo, won the combined event in Shanghai on Sunday to move closer to qualifying for Paris.