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Keegan Palmer

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Keegan Palmer
OAM
Personal information
Born (2003-03-12) 12 March 2003 (age 21)
San Diego, California, U.S.
OccupationProfessional skateboarder
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportSkateboarding
PositionGoofy footed
Rank2nd[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 Park
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Park
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Nanjing Park
Summer X Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Ventura Park
Gold medal – first place 2023 Chiba Park
Silver medal – second place 2023 California Park

Keegan Palmer OAM (born 12 March 2003) is an Australian-American goofy-footed professional skateboarder specialising in park skating. He turned professional at the age of 14.[2] In 2021 at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Palmer won the gold medal in the inaugural men's park skateboarding competition.[3] Palmer became a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning the men's park skateboarding competition at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.[4]

Palmer has been sponsored by Nike SB, Primitive, Oakley, Independent, Bones Wheels, Bronson Speed Co., Mob, and Boost Mobile.[5]

Early life

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Palmer was born in San Diego, California, to an Australian-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

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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 5 August 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]

Palmer achieved an unofficial world record of furthest distance covered towed by a car on a skateboard in March 2024 when he completed a distance of 52 kilometres at Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne, Australia.[18]

In 2024, he became a double Olympic gold medallist, repeating as winner of the Olympic men's park skateboarding event at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings – Park, Male". World Skate. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. ^ "How Tony Hawk inspired Aussie skate prodigy". wwos.nine.com.au. 18 May 2020. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  3. ^ Mercuri, Simona (9 June 2021). "The List of Future Olympic Skateboarders is Official!!!". www.worldskate.org. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b Snape, Jack (7 August 2024). "Keegan Palmer doubles up for Australia with Olympic skateboard gold at Paris Games". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Keegan Palmer from Australia AUS Bio and Photos". The Boardr. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Teen Palmer dominates for skateboard gold". Perth Now. 5 August 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Aussie skateboarder Keegan Palmer still focused on Olympics". ESPN.com. 8 June 2020. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. 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. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  9. ^ "KEEGAN PALMER AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN OF SURFING". Hurley Skating YouTube Channel. 17 February 2012. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Schoolboy, 8, becomes air apparent of skateboard world". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 February 2012. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Aussie teen Palmer wins skateboarding gold with top-secret trick". Yahoo Sports. 5 August 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Keegan Palmer Wins Amateur Bowl at Dew Tour Long Beach 2017". Dew Tour. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Skate Results". Dew Tour. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Contest Results: Skate Australia National Park Championships - Open Male – Final". The Boardr. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Skateboarding - Final Results". olympics.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. 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. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  18. ^ Setting a World Record with Lando Norris!. Retrieved 30 April 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
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