Olympic Games 2024 - everything you need to know about the board and BMX

After its debut in Tokyo, the skateboarding caravan goes on, and BMX continues to be one of the sports that gives a decent thrill! Get the details of the street & park competition, read the schedule of major competitions and get ready to cheer on our representative Verka Choromanski. We've wrapped up the dates, details for you so you can follow your scrimmages on the glass screen this vacation!

Skateboarding - from the streets to the Olympics 
Skateboarding made its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, quickly gaining international recognition as a spectator sport. In Paris 2024, athletes will compete in two of the most exciting and challenging disciplines: park and street. We will explain the differences between these disciplines in the paragraphs below.

Park - or tricks that break the laws of physics! 
Park competitions take place on a complex track, which consists of a series of ramps and other obstacles that allow riders to gather speed and perform spectacular tricks in the air. Each rider performs three 45-second runs, the best of which counts towards the final score. The jury evaluates the level of difficulty of the tricks, their execution, as well as the use of all available space and obstacles.

Street - along the lines of urban spots 
Street competitions simulate urban streets, with elements such as stairs, railings, benches and others that are natural environments for skateboarders. Competitors are expected to demonstrate creativity, control and technical precision during two runs of 45 seconds each (as in the Park category) and an additional five tricks, which are judged separately.

Skateboard competition schedule
Want to keep up to date with the achievements of our skateboarding team? Take a screen shot or copy these dates to cheer on our representatives this vacation! 

July 27:
12:00 - Street men, preliminaries
17:00 - Street men, finals

July 28:
12:00 - Street women, preliminaries
17:00 - Street women, final

August 6:
12:30 - Women's Park, preliminaries
17:30 - Park women, final

August 7:
12:30 p .m. - Men's Park, preliminaries
17:30 - Men's park, final

There will be 88 male and female riders competing in Paris 2024, of which each National Olympic Committee can enter a maximum of six candidates (three men and three women) in the Street and Park competitions. France, as the host country, is guaranteed four spots in the competition. The remaining athletes are assigned based on results from the Olympic World Skateboarding ranking list, which will be updated until June 24, 2024. Representatives will be selected after three qualifying periods, ending with the list of athletes qualified for the Games. 

A total of 176 skateboarders from around the world will compete for qualification to the Olympic Games in Paris. The qualifying competition will take place at two international pre-Olympic events. Our compatriot Weronika Choromanska from Wroclaw, gold medalist at the 2023 Summer European Youth Olympic Festival in Maribor, will be competing for qualification to the Games. We are keeping our fingers crossed for Veronika! The full list of names of skaters and skateboarders who will fight for a place at the Games can be found here.

BMX
BMX, or Bicycle Motocross, is an urban sport that was born out of young cyclists' passion for motocross in 1960s California. Initially, BMX served as a low-cost alternative to motocross, allowing young people to race on two wheels without the need for expensive motorcycles. The sport quickly gained popularity, and its enthusiasts began creating their own tracks, jumps and obstacles, leading the evolution from BM to BMX. The final letter X stands for speed and adrenaline on the track. 
Rules and competition format

BMX Racing - who's first to the finish line? 
BMX Racing is fast and dynamic racing on a specially designed track with numerous jumps, turns and other obstacles. Eight riders compete simultaneously, trying to be the first to the finish line, which requires not only speed, but also excellent technical and tactical skills.

BMX Park
In the park competition, riders perform complex stunts on ramps and obstacles, where creativity, style and difficulty of tricks are key. The competition consists of several rounds in which riders showcase their skits in front of an international audience.

BMX competition schedule
Follow your favorite BMX riders! Memorize these dates or take a screenshot to know when the most important competitions are!

July 30:
from 13:25 - Women (park), eliminations
From 13:25 - Men (park), eliminations

July 31:
from 13:25 - Women (park), finals
from 13:25 - Men (park), final

August 1:
from 20:00 - Men (racing), eliminations
from 20:00 - Women (racing), eliminations
from 20 :00 - Men (racing), repechages
from 20:00 - Women (racing), repechages

August 2:
from 20:00 - Men (racing), semifinals
from 20:00 - Women (racing), semifinals
from 20:00 - Men (racing), finals
from 20:00 - Women (racing), final

Twelve spots (six each for men and women) are available at the Olympic Games. Forty-eight riders will compete for qualification for these spots at the Olympic qualifiers, which will be held in Shanghai and Budapest in May and June. The list of participants in these qualifiers has already been approved and published on the official website of the Paris Games. Unfortunately, among the qualifying athletes there are no representatives of Poland in BMX.

We encourage all skateboard and BMX enthusiasts to follow all the competitions! Paris 2024 promises to be an unforgettable celebration of urban sports, full of exciting moments and competition at the highest level!