We’re very excited about skateboarding being included at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, but many in the sport were disappointed when UK Sport decided Team GB didn’t have medal potential in this discipline and therefore didn’t award it any funding.
However, the organisation has now launched an Aspiration Fund, and all unfunded Olympic and Paralympic sports can apply for some of this £3 million pot.
James Hope-Gill, chief executive of Skateboard England, told the BBC that this represents an exciting opportunity for the country’s skateboarders.
“If we are successful in our application, this means that we will be able to give an opportunity to GB skateboarders to enter Olympic qualification events around the world so that they can gain ranking points,” he said.
Mr Hope-Gill added that many of the country’s skate athletes aren’t able to afford the travel to these events at the moment, so this new funding could make a significant difference to their chances of qualification for the Games.
As well as being able to demonstrate how the funding will help athletes qualify to compete in Tokyo, the sports bidding for some of the funding must also show how they will “engage and inspire communities”.
We definitely aren’t the only ones who are excited about skateboarding’s inclusion in the Olympic Games. Last month, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk said that he thought the sport would bring “a really good youthful vibe to the Games again”.
If all of this talk of skateboarding being contested on such a huge world stage has got you excited, hit your local skate park with a custom skateboard deck and have fun perfecting your moves.
