FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Skateboarding - Women's Park Final - La Concorde 4, Paris, France - August 06, 2024. Sky Brown of Britain in action. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
PARIS (Reuters) - Skateboarding's inclusion in the past two summer Olympic Games has not splintered the sport's community as some feared it might but instead made the bond between the athletes even stronger, Britain's Sky Brown told Reuters.
Skaters warmly embraced and congratulated each other after the medals were announced in Tuesday's engrossing women's park final in a show of sportsmanship that is not always seen in the cutthroat world of Olympic competition.
"We're one family," Brown said one day after reaching the podium for her second consecutive Games.
"We want the best for each other but we also want the gold medals. It's pretty cool and our relationships are very special."
Skateboarding was added to the programme for the Tokyo Games three years ago as part of a much-needed makeover aimed at attracting younger viewers and was an instant hit.
It will be part of the Games going forward despite concerns that the Olympic spotlight would undermine its community ethos or detract from its rebel street cred.
"Being on such a big stage together, doing what we love and being able to show our sport to the world, I think it has made us even closer," Brown said.
"And skateboarding being in the Olympics has helped it grow overall. More parks, more skaters. I'm really thankful for that."
Despite being just 16-years-old, Brown has already shown great resilience in her career.
She suffered a horrific fall from a training ramp in 2020 that left her with skull and wrist fractures and was airlifted to hospital where she was unresponsive on arrival.
Incredibly, she bounced back the next year to win bronze in the inaugural park event in Tokyo at age 13.
In Tuesday's final in Paris, she battled through pain after suffering a dislocated shoulder last month and still managed to add another bronze to her collection. There is no doubting her toughness.
She has also long been called a skateboarding "prodigy", a label she does not run from.
"The word prodigy excites me," she said.
"When I hear that I'm the prodigy, I'm like, oh, I've got to send it. I want to show what I can do and the best of me."
Brown has partnered with longtime Olympic sponsor Visa on a "Prodigies" campaign that also features world number one tennis player Iga Swiatek and musician Pharrell.
The campaign's message is that even the naturally gifted have to work hard and are not immune from setbacks.
"It's been an amazing journey," she said.
"Lots of ups and downs, but everything made me stronger."
A versatile athlete who came up just short of qualifying in surfing as well as skateboarding in Paris, Brown now has her sights set on competing in both at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
"I've definitely got my eye on the LA (Games)," said Brown, who has homes in Southern California and Japan.
"Being a double Olympian and hopefully winning two golds. That's the goal."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Paris; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
