Team USA’s Wettstein advances to second Olympic women’s skateboard park final and finishes sixth
PARIS – Bryce Wettstein (Encinitas, Calif.) advanced to the final round of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 women’s skateboard park competition in second place finishing in sixth place in the finals — matching her placement at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Two other women’s park team members Minna Stess (Petaluma, Calif.) and Ruby Lilley (Oceanside, Calif.) made their Olympic debut at the Paris Games, however missed qualifying for the finals.
Wettstein’s score of 88.12 was 5.06 behind the winning score of 93.18 by Arisa Trew of Australia. Cocona Hiraki of Japan claimed the silver medal with her score of 92.63, while Great Britain's Sky Brown repeated as Olympic bronze medalist by scoring 92.31 on her last run.
"During prelims, I was almost doing a math problem and thinking this is the last run, and I knew it would be difficult as I thought about the score and then I didn’t. I thought about the moment and used that as my motive and to be brave,” Wettstein said about her third and final run. “I felt so close to myself because often you feel so far from yourself, so close to the action and everything that is happening, but I told myself be where your feet are."
Wettstein held on to her podium spot for one run before she was moved to sixth after six skaters leaving her to receive a 91.06 or higher to move back into the podium spot. Skateboard legend Tony Hawk was one of the first people to hug Wettstein as she returned to the deck.
Known for her ukulele skills and songwriting, Wettstein took her time leaving the venue playing a special song she wrote for the Paris fans lining the plaza.
"I am feeling so grateful to be in this moment,” Wettstein said. “I only hope today’s skating inspired young girls. That is all I want."
Men’s skateboard park preliminary and final competitions will be held August 7 at 12:30 p.m. local time where the team members include all California athletes: Gavin Bottger, Tate Carew and Tom Schaar.
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