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Keegan Palmer

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Keegan Palmer
OAM
Personal information
Born (2003-03-13) 13 March 2003 (age 21)
San Diego, California, US
OccupationProfessional skateboarder
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportSkateboarding
PositionGoofy footed
Rank7th (June 2021)[1]
EventPark
ClubNew South Wales Institute of Sport
Turned pro2018
Medal record
Men's park skateboarding
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Men's park

Keegan Palmer OAM (born 12 March 2003) is an Australian goofy-footed professional skateboarder specialising in park skating. He turned professional at the age of 14.[2] As of 2021, Palmer is sponsored by Nike SB, Primitive, Oakley, Independent, Bones Wheels, Bronson Speed Co., Mob, and Boost Mobile.[3] Palmer is currently ranked #7 in the World Skate male park rankings.[4]

In 2021, Palmer qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in the park skateboarding competition.[5] He went on to win the gold medal in the inaugural park skateboard competition.

Early life

Palmer was born in San Diego, California, to an American father, Chris, and a South African mother, Cindy, on 12 March 2003. He moved with his family from San Diego to Australia's Gold Coast as a one-year-old.[6][7] Palmer began skating at two years of age when he joined his father at the local Elanora skate park[8] and competed in the Australian Open skating competition at eight years old.[9] He attended King's Christian College[10] while based on the Gold Coast and was also interested in surfing from an early age but focused mainly on skating throughout his upbringing. Palmer returned to San Diego at 14 years of age in pursuit of a professional skateboarding career.[11]

Career

In 2017, Palmer won the Dew Tour Am Bowl Final at age 14.[12] Palmer made his debut in the Dew Tour in 2018, coming 7th in the finals. A year later, Palmer came 3rd in the 2019 Dew Tour finals, finishing behind Pedro Barros and Cory Juneau.[13] In the same year, Palmer came 4th in the Park Skateboarding World Championships in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2020, Palmer won the Skate Australia National Park Championships.[14] In 2021, Palmer qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. On August 5, 2021, Palmer won the gold medal in the men's park skateboarding event at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games.[15]

Although locking in a gold medal 7.9 points ahead of his nearest rival, Palmer decided to do a victory lap. In the process, he improved his original score of 94.04 (from his first run) to 95.83 (on his third and final run), finishing 9.69 points ahead of his nearest opponent, Brazilian Pedro Barros.[16]

In the 2022 Australia Day Honours Palmer was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings – Park, Male". World Skate. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  2. ^ "How Tony Hawk inspired Aussie skate prodigy". wwos.nine.com.au. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Keegan Palmer from Australia AUS Bio and Photos". The Boardr. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Worldskate - Skateboarding & Roller Sports - Rankings". www.worldskate.org. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  5. ^ Mercuri, Simona. "The List of Future Olympic Skateboarders is Official!!!". www.worldskate.org. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Teen Palmer dominates for skateboard gold". Perth Now. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Aussie skateboarder Keegan Palmer still focused on Olympics". ESPN.com. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Mapping Keegan Palmer's journey from local bowl on southern Gold Coast to Tokyo Olympics". ABC News. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  9. ^ "KEEGAN PALMER AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN OF SURFING". Hurley Skating YouTube Channel. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Schoolboy, 8, becomes air apparent of skateboard world". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Aussie teen Palmer wins skateboarding gold with top-secret trick". Yahoo Sports. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Keegan Palmer Wins Amateur Bowl at Dew Tour Long Beach 2017". Dew Tour. 18 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Skate Results". Dew Tour. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Contest Results: Skate Australia National Park Championships - Open Male – Final". The Boardr. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Skateboarding - Final Results". olympics.com. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Australia equals best Olympic medal tally with quickfire canoe and skateboard golds". the Guardian. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Australia Day Honours List" (PDF). The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
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