2024-07-10 23:00:53
McDonald to represent England with 16-year-old teammate
“I feel like I won a medal just by passing the preliminaries.”
Andy McDonald, a Briton who turns 51 later this month, will represent his country in skateboarding at the Paris Olympics next month. He is the oldest athlete from any country competing in the sport.
Skateboarding was first adopted as an official event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the time, the average age of the medalists was only 18, so it was considered a ‘youth-only thing.’ He is a very noticeable figure.
In an interview with the New York Times (NYT) on the 8th (local time), Mr. McDonald said, “At my age, it is true that when I fall down, it hurts more (than younger skaters) and it takes more time to recover,” but added, “But the secret to still being able to skateboard is that I never stop.”
His two teammates are both 16. “I skate with kids who are about a third my age and learn from their energy and resilience,” said McDonald, who also emphasized that he is happy to share his knowledge and experience with the next generation of skaters.
Mr. McDonald started skating at the age of 12 and has competed on the international stage numerous times, including nine wins at the World Skateboarding World Cup, but this is his first time competing in the Olympics.
He finished 15th in the qualifying round held in Budapest, Hungary last month. The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee said, “After failing in two attempts, he ‘bet everything’ on his last chance and got an incredible stroke of luck.” Mr. McDonald also said, “Just qualifying is like winning a medal,” and “Skateboarding is the fountain of youth for me.”
“Many people think of me as a ‘veteran’s representative,’ but age is really just a number,” he said. “I want to motivate people to continue doing what they love.”
Reporter Hong Jeong-su [email protected]
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2024-07-10 23:00:53