Tokyo Olympics 2021: Australian skateboarder Kieran Woolley makes finals despite shock crash
Australian skater Kieran Woolley made a bold entry to the competition, accidentally crashing into a cameraman. But it was his ‘Usain Bolt’ moment that followed which captured hearts.
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Australia will have two chances for a medal on the final day of skateboarding at the Olympics.
Kieran Woolley, 17, and Keegan Palmer, 18, have both qualified for this afternoon’s park final and are right in the mix for a podium berth should everything go to plan.
Woolley is ranked in second place while Palmer is ranked fifth but the slates are cleared for the final, meaning they’ll need to emulate their form from the heats to win a medal.
It won’t be easy for the Aussie teens as temperatures soar at the unprotected Ariake urban sports park.
Woolley came into the competition with flare, accidentally crashing into a cameraman causing the surprised worker to fall to his feet.
Spectators warmed to Woolley after he offered the cameraman a fist pump and helped him to get up – all with a cheeky grin.
It was perhaps the US commentary that stole the show. “Oh my gosh,” one of them yelled.
“Everybody is ok, we can’t confirm or deny you don’t have a broken tailbone after that. Holy cats that was crazy.”
Fair play to the cameraman, he did not stop filming once.
Woolley described his crash with a cameraman on his Olympic debut as “crazy”.
“Yeah that was unexpected,” he told News Corp Australia. I got out of it all right, he got out of it all right, so it should be fine, it was crazy.
“I didn’t think he was still going to be filming. It’s one for the memory books.”
As for his score which will see him make the final, Woolley said it was unexpected.
“I am super stoked with that score, I did not expect it,” he said.
“I’m stoked to land it, I am just having fun, went as high as possible and it worked out.”
Woolley came extremely close to not making it to the Olympics after he was shut-out of a qualifying tournament in Iowa following a Covid outbreak among the Australian team.
“It benefited me, nobody saw how I was skating, no one saw any of my tricks and I came out firing,” he said.
“Luckily people fell off and I made it through, it is a blessing in disguise.”
INNOCENT KINDNESS: SKATEBOARDERS SHOW TRUE OLYMPIC SPIRIT
Sky Brown had a terrifying crash at Tony Hawk’s Linda Vista Skate Park in San Diego. She fractured her skull, lacerated a lung and broke her wrist and arm. Poland’s Amelia Brodka was among the first to rush to her side. She thought the 12-year-old was dead.
“The worst accident I’ve ever witnessed. And I’ve seen a lot,” Brodka said. “I didn’t know if she was going to live through it. It was that bad.
“It was basically like watching a car crash. I didn’t know if I was watching someone take their last breath. Sure enough, weeks later, she’s giggling on top of the ramp like nothing ever happened. It truly is a miracle.”
A year later, at the ripe old age of 13, Brown is trying to become the youngest ever Olympic gold medallist. One of her main rivals, Kokona Hiraki, is only 12, so here comes the giggliest sporting contest you’ll ever see. Like, oh my God, it’s so giggly.
Most Olympic sports have an age limit of 16, but skateboarding lets anyone compete who can get a note from school and so Brown, all 137cm of her – that’s four-feet-six in the old money – is allowed to go wheels up at Ariake Urban Sports Park.
American diver Marjorie Gestring was 13 years and 268 days old when she won gold at the 1936 Berlin Games. Brown turned 13 just last month. The favourite for the genuinely thrill-a-minute park event is the grizzly old 19-year-old veteran Sakura Yosozumi, who’s just about ready to be pensioned off at that sort of age.
Brown’s world ranking is No.3. As they say around here, yippee.
How big is little Brown? She has 932,000 Instagram followers. I’m led to believe that’s a lot. She’s “huge on TikTok”, whatever that means. She has a Nike sponsorship, her own board company and she’s about to release a book and a documentary. She has a Barbie doll in her likeness and, of course, she says this is “one of the most incredible things that has ever happened to me”. One profile says she “likes to wear pink, and sticks her tongue out a lot”. She says corny stuff like: “Just spread kindness. That’s all you need to do.” Anyone would think she’s just a kid.
You have to admire the fearlessness and bravado.
Her accident last year has been no laughing matter. Her father is English, and her mother is Japanese, and they’ve wanted her to quit skateboarding and concentrate on surfing, which she’s even better at, from all reports.
“They absolutely didn’t want me to keep skating, but that’s why I love them,” she says. “They support me because they know I want to keep going. I don’t usually post my falls on Instagram or talk about them, because I want people to see the fun in what I do. But this was my worst fall. It’s OK to fall sometimes. I’m just going to get back up and push even harder.”
Brodka is in the field, too.
She’s 31. Good luck, grandma. She bows out in the preliminary round as Brown qualifies for the final in second place after three daring, high-flying and impeccable runs. She’s the most dynamic goofy-footer since Mark Occhilupo. It’s child’s play. The sky’s the limit, and so forth.
Between the qualifying round and the final she says: “It’s crazy to be here. It’s really fun. Everyone is just ripping and it’s awesome. I’m just skating like I usually do, trying to land my tricks and have fun. I’m just so happy. I’m keeping some different tricks for the finals. I’m just going to enjoy it and see what happens.”
What happens is a battle between Brown and three Japanese riders for the podium. There’s something a bit ridiculous about it, of course. She behaves like a kid. You have to interview her like a kid. Because she really is a kid. But if the best skateboarders in the world include children, you have to have them here – as proved by their progression to the final.
Brown falls on her first two runs, tripping on something called “kickflip indys”. Don’t ask.
She womans up on her last run and climbs to third.
She laughs and cries all at once. Gestring remains the youngest Olympic champion when gold goes to the 19-year-old Yosozumi. You can’t beat that sort of experience. Silver goes to the 12-year-old Hiraki. They all squeal and sob and jump up and down and say ‘oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!’
They burst with delight and share their innocent kindness.
Impressions? They’re just young people having fun, and where’s the harm in that?
Brown says: “I really am so happy. I fell twice and I was like, ‘That’s kinda sketchy’. So I was like, ‘I gotta make it’. And I didn’t really think I was going to make it. But I did it, and I’m so happy.
“Everyone did amazing. Everyone was doing so good. I’m so proud of everyone and just being on the podium is insane.
“Right now it feels like a dream. I’m so happy and so thankful and so proud of every one of the other girls.”
PINT-SIZED OLYMPIANS PROVIDE GREAT ATMOSPHERE
It was an electric atmosphere at Wednesday’s skateboarding final on a historic day for the world’s skating community.
There was no rivalry on show among the females who competed in the final, with a strong camaraderie between the top eight clear for the world to see.
After each performance, skaters would fist pump, hug and clap each other on, even if it meant another skater knocked them out of medal contention.
While the skaters endured a nervous wait for results, they would often hold and embrace each other in lieu of family and friends who would usually be in the crowd.
The stadium was packed with the world’s media, the skating community and coaches of the athletes as they watched the exciting event unfold.
Great Britain had a large support contingent, with the nation on the edge of their seat watching Sky Brown’s historic run.
While it wasn’t to be for Brown, her supporters cheered the teenager on regardless.
At one point skaters – including Aussie Poppy Olsen – chairlifted Japan’s Misugu Okamato after a devastating fall in her final run which cost her the gold medal.
Okamato’s sophisticated routine would’ve got her into first place should she have been able to complete it, sources said.
Her tears soon transformed into a big grin when her competitors consoled her with the touching move.
The great sportsmanship on show in skateboarding has helped to cement it as a worthy addition to the Olympic calendar.
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