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Nyjah Huston wins bronze in street skateboarding at the Paris Olympics
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Nyjah Huston wins bronze in street skateboarding at the Paris Olympics

Nyjah Huston surprised the crowd in Paris when he won a bronze Olympic medal in street skating for Team USA.

His teammate, Jagger Eaton, took the silver medal. After a fierce battle in Monday’s final, Eaton and Huston finished behind Japan’s reigning champion Yuto Horigome.

Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev via Getty Images

For Eaton, Monday’s medal was the second of his career. The 23-year-old won bronze in Tokyo in 2021. Meanwhile, Huston, who is 29, claimed the first medal of his career.

“I feel like at that level, between first, second and third, you could have picked anyone to win,” Eaton told reporters on Monday, according to People . “It just went Yuto’s way and that’s 100 percent fine. When you’re in a sport that’s not racing or track and field, it’s really hard to guarantee a win. It’s really about going out there, having a great day and giving it your all, and that’s what I think I did.”

Photo: Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images

Huston led the competition for most of the day, but Eaton came back strong. Horigome then outdid both athletes when he scored a 97.08 on his final run, the Japanese star beating Eaton’s score by .10. Huston and Eaton praised each other after their big day.

“Nyjah is really like my big brother,” Eaton said. “I would definitely say I credit a lot of my tricks, a lot of my competitive drive, to him.”

Huston added: “We all like to feed off each other’s energy and we’re obviously looking to do our best. But at the end of the day, skateboarding is about having fun because it’s the best thing out there, the most fun thing out there, and just pushing that progression.”

Eaton’s win comes after a disappointing start to the Olympics. Speaking to People, Eaton said he skipped the opening ceremony to prepare for the competition, which was originally scheduled for the following day but was postponed until Monday due to rain.

“I mean, I’m not going to lie, I almost shed a tear when I saw all those athletes getting dressed and going out there,” he said. “The opening ceremony is something very special and when you get to experience it more than once, it’s a privilege. I’m grateful that I got to experience it in Tokyo, but it was a real bummer that I missed it here.”