Eaton becomes the first athlete to win street and park world titles, beating Brazilian pair Augusto Akio and Pedro Barros in a thrilling World Championship final in Sharjah.
- Sky Brown becomes Britain’s first world champion in a women’s event.
- The 2022 Park and Road World Championships serve as a qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games
SHARJAH: Former street world champion Jagger Eaton won the men’s final at the 2022 Skateboarding Park World Championships in 2023 in Sharjah on Sunday (12 February).
The American – who finished sixth in last Sunday’s street world final – became the first athlete to complete the street-park world title double thanks to a score of 93.00 on his third run which moved him ahead of top qualifier Augusto Akio.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist Pedro Barros made it two Brazilians on the podium inside Aljada Skate Park in third place.
Olympic champion Keegan Palmer finished down in eighth after taking early falls on all three of his runs.
Draped in the Stars and Stripes, 2021 street world champion Eaton said afterward, “Finishing street in sixth was a hard finish for me as I’m always trying to go for the win. I showed up this morning just so grateful to make the final with these guys. I mean, these are some of the best in the world. And just to be here with the flag on in first is just unbelievable.
“On that third run, all I said was, ‘Let’s make a miracle happen. I’m tired, I’m beaten, but there’s more in my well. I can dig a little deeper.’
“So many people know what it takes to become great at something and this is just what it takes. It just takes everything you have each time and I’m just so grateful,”
On an action-packed Sunday in the men’s event, Eaton scored a 93.00 for gold after landing an amazing flip nose blunt and a blunt flip out in his third and final run. After becoming street world champion in 2021 and winning Olympic bronze in the discipline in Tokyo 2020 the same year, the Park crown makes Eaton the first skateboarder to achieve the double-discipline triumph.
He was accompanied on the podium at the Aljada Skate Park by the Brazilians Augusto Akio and Pedro Barros, who won silver and bronze respectively with 92.00 and 90.00 efforts.
“The run that brought the win felt like a miracle,” Eaton said. “I’ve never done this run before – I haven’t done the trick I added once and I just said to myself, ‘This is it; this is what it takes, I’m not going to finish second.’ It feels great.”
Eaton, who finished sixth in the street final in Sharjah, added: “Starting the first Olympic qualifier with a win prepares me well for Paris and I’m looking forward to it. Winning gold at the Olympics is the goal – winning gold is the goal in every competition – but what pleased me most on Sunday was being able to compete with the best in the world. That’s all every athlete dreams of – we all compete against each other. It was so much fun, and I enjoy the competition. Win or lose, these guys are my friends and it’s a great feeling.”
History was also made at the 2022 Women’s Park World Championships in Sharjah, where Brown went into her third run knowing she had won – only to score an even better 90.83 to bring home the gold in glory. Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Hiraki Kokona was an early frontrunner until Brown’s second attempt, but the Japanese skater’s total of 86.66 still earned silver. Her compatriot Yosozumi Sakura, the Olympic champion, won bronze with 85.15.
Brown said: “I had a lot of fun, I’m just so excited. I was so happy with what I did in my three runs. The best feeling was when I landed a back five because I hadn’t practiced that a bit, so landing felt really good. It is a confidence boost for the Olympic Games. To win a gold medal at the Olympics would be crazy, that’s the goal – and I want to surf, which makes it a bigger goal, but I’ll do my best.”
Both the Street 2022 World Championships, whose final took place in Sharjah on February 5, and the Park 2022 World Championships, jointly organized by World Skate and UAE-based master developer Arada, serve as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. At both final events, there were full stands in the stands.
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, Vice Chairman of Arada, said: “Jagger and Sky’s gold medal success at the 2022 Park World Championships at Aljada Skate Park in Sharjah completes two amazing weeks of fully loaded world-class skateboards. The level was incredibly high, and we congratulate all participants on this incredible show.
“The Street 2022 and Park 2022 World Championships leave a huge legacy here with enormous potential for growth and development. Skateboarding is a fast-growing sport worldwide, and we are delighted with the popularity and success of Aljada Skate Park, which has become a regional hub. It would be great to see a medalist from our region on the podium shortly.”
In addition to key Olympic qualification points, each gold medalist took home $50,000 from the total prize pool of $500,000 at both championships.
Final results of the 2022 Men’s Park World Championships:
Jagger Eaton, 93.00 (USA) 2. Augusto Akio, 92.00 (Brazil) 3. Pedro Barros, 90.00 (Brazil) 4. Kieran Woolley, 89.50 (Australia) 5. Tom Schaar, 87.70 (USA) 6. Tate Carew, 85.13 (USA) 7. Liam Pace, 82.50 (USA) 8. Keegan Palmer, 21.00 (Australia)
Final results of the 2022 Women’s Park World Championship:
Sky Brown, 90.83 (Great Britain) 2. Hiraki Kokona, 86.66 (Japan) 3. Yosozumi Sakura, 85.15 (Japan) 4. Kusaki Hinano, 84.50 (Japan) 5. Bryce Wettstein, 84.40 (USA) 6. Lola Tambling, 81.53 (Great Britain) 7. Minna Stess, 80.33 (USA) 8. Grace Marhoefer, 80.18 (USA).
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