4 to Watch: Skateboarding Ramps Up for Its Olympics Debut
The U.S. looks to earn its first medal of the Tokyo Olympics after a rare medal-less Day 1. There are several reasons to believe the drought ends on Day 2.
Nyjah Huston and Jagger Eaton were among the athletes to watch with ties to Southern California when skateboarding made its much-anticipated Olympic debut.
Eaton picked up a bronze, but Huston fell out of medal contention during the finals.
Huston, of Laguna Beach, was looking to win gold in the men's street event. He's a four-time world champion with golds at the World Skateboarding Championships in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019. He also has 18 X Games medals with 16 coming in the street event.
Skateboarder Nyjah Huston grinds some Lego rails as he explains the newest Olympic sport.
He is the highest-paid skateboarder in the world and will now look to shine in the inaugural Olympic skateboarding competition.
Other SoCal athletes competing in skateboarding include Zion Wright (Long Beach), Brighton Zeuner (Encinitas) and Bryce Wettstein (Encinitas)
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Allyson Felix, of Los Angeles, competes in the Women’ 200 Meters Semi-Finals during day eight of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 25, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon.
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Tara Davis, member of the U.S. Track and Field team from Agoura Hills, is shown here in action on July 12, 2018. This photo was taken during qualifying for the women’s long jump during the IAAF World U20 Championships. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)
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Brittney Reese of Team USA's Track and Field team was born in Inglewood. She's seen here competing in the Women’s Long Jump during the 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar. (Photo By Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Manhattan Beach's Alix Klineman (USA) during the Beach Volley Rome World Tour Finals Main Draw Pool B match at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy on September 5, 2019 (Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Kelly Claes of Fullerton, beach volleyball player for Team USA, hits the ball during a AVP Championship match against April Ross and Alix Klineman at Oak Street Beach on August 31, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: April Ross, of Costa Mesa, in action during the Women’s Round of 16 match against Marta Menegatti and Laura Giombini of Italy on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Beach Volleyball Arena on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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In this June 1, 2019 photo, Diamond Bar's Alex Morgan of Team USA celebrates after scoring her team’s first goal during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France group F match between USA and Thailand at Stad Auguste Delaune in Reims, France.
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CHESTER, PA – OCTOBER 26: Palos Verdes Estates' Christen Press #14 of the United States plays in the game against Costa Rica in the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship final on October 26, 2014 at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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Makenzie Fischer, member of the USA Water Polo Women’s National Team, is from Laguna Beach. Here, she throws a pass in the game against the Netherlands at Pitzer College on December 18, 2018 in Claremont, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Rachel Fattal, member of the United States Women's Water Polo Team from Seal Beach, takes a shot in front of Barbara Bujka #10 of Hungary during the Women's Preliminaries on Day 8 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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Alys Williams, resident of Huntington Beach and member of the U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team, passes the ball during practice on February 23, 2021 in Los Alamitos, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Aria Fischer of Laguna Beach is #9 on the U.S. Women’s National Water Polo Team. She's shown here scoring a goal against the Netherlands at Pitzer College on December 18, 2018 in Claremont, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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LOS ALAMITOS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 23: Newport Beach's Maddie Musselman #2 of USA Women’s Waterpolo takes a shot during practice on February 23, 2021 in Los Alamitos, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Kaleigh Gilchrist (left), member of the U.S. Women's Water Polo Team from Newport Beach, controls the ball while under pressure from Kirsten Hudson of New Zealand. This photo was taken during the 2019 FINA World League Inter-Continental Cup woman’s match between USA and New Zealand at HBF Stadium on March 28, 2019 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
Orlando, FL – JULY 27: Los Angeles' Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during a scrimmage on July 27, 2020 at The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Apr 10, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward and former UCLA Bruin Kevin Love (0) rebounds in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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Connecticut’s Katie Lou Samuelson (33), of Huntington Beach, guards Tulane’s Kolby Morgan (3) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Stephen Dunn)
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United States guard Diana Taurasi, of Chino, dribbles during the second half of a women’s basketball game against Serbia at the Youth Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016. The United States defeated Serbia 110-84. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 17: Los Angeles' Collin Morikawa of the United States looks at his yardage book on the 17th green during the first round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) on June 17, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
UCLA’s Rachel Garcia pitches to a Florida State batter during an NCAA Women’s College World Series softball game in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June 3, 2021. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)
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San Clemente's Kolohe Andino will compete in surfing in the Tokyo Olympics.
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Iris Wang of Arcadia California, member of the United States Women's Badminton team, competes in the Women’s Singles first round match against Kim Ga Eun of South Korea on day one of the Toyota Thailand Open on January 19, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
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Abbey Weitzeil, of Saugus, will be part of the U.S. swim team at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Katie McLaughlin, swimmer for the United States from Dana Point, competes in the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay heats during the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships at Nambu International Aquatics Centre on July 28, 2019 in South Korea. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
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Jordan Wilimovsky, of Maibu, will represent Team USA in the pool at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Marcos Giron, US Tennis player from Thousand Oaks, plays a forehand in his First Round match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during Day One of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Alex Bowen of the United States Men’s Waterpolo Olympic Team is from Huntington Beach. He's shown here practicing during a media availability on July 08, 2021 in Newport, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Men's Water Polo player Johnny Hooper, of Los Angeles, poses for a portrait during the Team USA Tokyo 2020 Olympic shoot on November 23, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Alex Obert was born in Placentia, California, and is a member of the United States Men's Water Polo Team. Here, he shoots the ball against Croatia during the Men’s Water Polo Preliminary Round – Group B match between the United States of America and Croatia, at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
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Max Irving, member of the U.S. Men's Water Polo Team from Long Beach, is shown here during the Men’s Water Polo Preliminary Round match between the United States and Australia. This photo was taken on day seven of the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships at Nambu University on July 19, 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
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Alex Wolf of Huntington Beach, member of the United States Men’s Waterpolo Olympic Team, practices during a media availability on July 08, 2021 in Newport, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Marco Vavic, member of the United States Men’s Waterpolo Olympic Team from , Rancho Palos Verdes, practices during a media availability on July 08, 2021 in Newport, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Isaiah Jewett of Los Angeles prepares to run in the first round of the Men’s 800 Meters during day one of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 18, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Cravon Gillespie, member of the US Track and Field team from Pasadena, competes in Men’s 100m Semifinal on Day 11 of Lima 2019 Pan American Games at Athletics Stadium of Villa Deportiva Nacional on August 06, 2019 in Lima, Peru. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Chris Benard of Corona competes in Men’s Triple Jump Qualifying on day 2 of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 19, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Badminton player Howard Shu, of Los Angeles, poses for a portrait at the 2016 Team USA Media Summit at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Phillip Chew, left, and Ryan Chew, right, are both from Orange County, California. Here, the two U.S. Badminton players compete in the Men’s Doubles first round match against Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei, on day two of the Toyota Thailand Open on January 20, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
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Anthony Gose, originally from Bellflower, California and #31 of the United States Baseball team, delivers a pitch in the eighth inning against Canada during the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier Super Round at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on June 04, 2021 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
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Amber Neben, US cyclist from Irvine, during the 93rd UCI Road World Championships 2020, Women Elite Individual Time Trial on September 24, 2020 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
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Megan Jastrab, US cyclist from Apple Valley, California, during the 92nd UCI Road World Championships 2019, Women's Junior Road Race from Doncaster to Harrogate 121m on September 27, 2019 in Harrogate, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Coryn Rivera, United States cyclist from Tustin, California, during the 32nd Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile 2021, Stage 4 a 11,2km Individual Time Trial from Fondovalle to Cascate Del Toce 1714m on July 05, 2021 in Cascate Del Toce, Italy. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
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Charlie Buckingham (front),Team USA Sailing competitor from Newport Beach, and Wannes van Laer of Belgium compete in the Men’s Laser class on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Marina da Gloria on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
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Riley Gibbs (left), Team USA Sailing competitor from Long Beach, works with Adele Anna Weis during a Nacra 17 class race of Santander Sailing Test Event – Port Authority Trophy on May 04, 2021 in Santander, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
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Lucy Davis, United States equestrian from Los Angeles, riding Barron, competes during the Equestrian Jumping Individual Final Round. This photo was taken on Day 14 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Equestrian Centre on August 19, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
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Aubree Munro, Brea California native and member of the Team USA Softball team, yells instructions during the game three between Japan and United States at the Tokyo Dome on June 25, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
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Isabelle Connor, left, member of the U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastics team from Manhattan Beach, California.
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Nyjah Huston, of Laguna Beach, practices during an Olympic qualifying skateboard event at Lauridsen Skatepark in Des Moines, Iowa on May 22, 2021.
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Jagger Eaton, of Los Angeles, in second place reacts on the podium for the Men’s Skateboard Park at the X Games Minneapolis 2019 at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 04, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Zion Wright, of Los Angeles, looks on during the Men’s Park Final at the Dew Tour on May 23, 2021 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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In this handout image provided by the World Archery Federation, Jack Williams, of Irvine, is pictured during the recurve men’s team final at the final qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo by Dean Alberga/Handout/World Archery Federation via Getty Images )
Swimming Awards Its First Medals
Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland kicked things off by finishing first and second in the men’s 400m individual medley, earning the first medals for Team USA in Tokyo. The women also collected two medals in their 400 IM when Emma Weyant captured the silver to Hali Flickinger’s bronze. In between, Kieran Smith came from behind to secure the bronze medal in the men’s 400m freestyle.
Learn the story of how GK Elite and Simone Biles collaborated to create the GOAT leotard alongside the entire U.S. Olympic gymnastics team's 2021 apparel.
Simone Biles Begins Her Quest for More Gold
Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastic team competed in the qualifying round as they begin their quest for a third straight team gold.
Biles qualified to compete in all six finals -- team, individual all-around, floor exercise, beam, uneven bars and vault. She'll be the first woman to compete in all six artistic gymnastics finals at one Olympics since Shannon Miller and Lavinia Milosovici did so in 1992.
Biles competed in five finals at the Rio Olympics, missing out on uneven bars.
Since only two athletes from each country can move on to the finals, some of the Americans will be on the outside looking in no matter how well they perform. Biles was a lock for the vault, where she is expected to debut the Yurchenko double pike, but both Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner are talented vaulters hoping to be the one to join Biles in the final.
Kolohe Andino was introduced to surfing by his father, a champion surfer. Now, Andino is heading to Tokyo to compete in surfing’s Olympic debut.
Round 1 consisted of five heats of four surfers. In each heat, the top two surfers advance directly to Round 3, while the bottom two move on to Round 2.
U.S. surfer Kolohe Andino advanced to Round 3 after finishing with a score of 10.27.
Carissa Moore is the gold medal favorite for the women, and 19-year-old Caroline Marks could also contend for a medal.
Watch the men live here and click here to watch the women's competition.
