The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo was particularly important for skateboarding. Set to make its Olympic debut, the USA National team consisting of 16 young men and women, were ready to participate in both the Park and Street divisions of competition. With the Games ultimately postponed to 2021, and numerous qualifying events leading into the games being canceled, the International skate community was thrown off its axis.

In the weeks since the postponement, World Skate, functioning as the International governing body of the sport, has held online meetings with team managers and athletes to organize a plan to proceed. Though competition is still at a halt due to the pandemic, World Skate has submitted plans to the International Olympic Committee to remedy qualifying and the 2021 season leading into next summer.

Included in the plans is an extension of the qualifying period to June 29, 2021. The four best results up until that time will count towards qualification. The criteria to host a qualifying event is likely what will be prove most difficult. For a country to host an event, there must be no ongoing outbreak of coronavirus in the location and no travel bans can be in place. World Skate has also ensured that training time will be afforded by allowing for a two month period between the announcement of the new event schedule and the first qualifying event.

The World Skate SLS World Championship of Street Skateboarding in London had been due to take place from May 19 to 24, while the World Skate World Championship of Park Skateboarding in Nanjing was scheduled for May 26 to 31. For now, the sport is waiting to see what the next steps are going to be with all eyes still focused on next summer in Tokyo.

USA Skateboarding 2020 National Team

First Row (L to R): Minna Stess, Bryce Wettstein, Arianna Carmona; Second row (L to R): Brighton Zeuner, Mariah Duran, Jordan Santana, Alana Smith, L

WOMEN’S PARK

• Ariana Carmona (Buena Park, CA)
• Brighton Zeuner (Encinitas, CA)
• Bryce Wettstein (Encinitas, CA)
• Jordyn Barratt (Haleiwa, HI)
• Jordan Santana (Houston, TX)
• Minna Stess (Petaluma, CA)

WOMEN’S STREET

• Alana Smith (Fort Worth, TX)
• Alexis Sablone (Old Saybrook, CT)
• Lacey Baker (Covina, CA)
• Mariah Duran (Albuquerque, NM)
• Samarria Brevard (Riverside, CA)

MEN’S PARK

• Alex Sorgente (Lake Worth, FL)
• Cory Juneau (San Diego, CA)
• Heimana Reynolds (Honolulu, HI)
• Tom Schaar (Malibu, CA)
• Tristan Rennie (Rialto, CA)
• Zion Wright (Jupiter, FL)

MEN’S STREET

• Dashawn Jordan (Chandler, AZ)
• Jagger Eaton (Mesa, AZ)
• Jamie Foy (Deerfield Beach, CA)
• Maurio McCoy (Reading, PA)
• Nyjah Huston (Laguna Beach, CA)