Hopefully. for Keegan Palmer, San Juan will be a lot better than Sharjah. A lot better.
At the World Championships in February in the United Arab Emirates, the Olympic men’s park skateboarding champion finished last in the final, despite flying through the first two rounds.
This happened at a park he had a hand in designing. In what was the first qualifier for Paris 2024, Palmer admits the pressure got to him.
“That one definitely hurt the soul for sure just because I helped design the park and I qualified first leading into the finals, and I fell on tricks I shouldn’t fall on,” Palmer told Olympics.com at X Games Chiba 2023 two weeks ago, when he won the rain-shortened park competition. “It definitely hit the spot.
“There was definitely some stress and a little bit of anxiety going into that contest just because I’m the gold medallist, it was the first World Skate event for us properly. Two, I helped design the park.
“So definitely the nerves were flowing in the final. I went last in the final because I qualified first. People were landing insane runs in front of me. It definitely was a tough one to get through but I’m glad I got my redemption here.”
The Australian won his first career X Games medal in Japan. Just before arriving, he was in Argentina getting some work in at Skatepark Pocito for this week’s contest, for which the men’s event will begin on Thursday (25 May).
Palmer said as disappointing as Sharjah was, it is all history now. He is pleased with how the X Games turned out and is looking forward to San Juan.
“I’m pretty good about forgetting things – in one ear and out the ear, you know I’ve always been good about forgetting stuff and focusing on the next thing.
“I’m very much looking forward to (San Juan). I went early to practise right before this contest. I did everything I wanted to do so I’m pretty dialled in.
“I think I have a chance of doing well at that contest. It’s just up to me landing my run.”
Palmer is the one and only Olympic gold medalist in men’s park, and seems genuine when he says he’s not sure how the burden of being the Games champion will impact him throughout the qualifying campaign.
Palmer – who has been candid about not being emotionally bullet-proof – said he has a few tricks up his sleeves for this week that he hasn’t shown yet in competition, flashing a giddy smile like someone who has a winning hand.
While Palmer says he “can’t wait” for Paris – he says he wants to keep competing until Brisbane 2032 – there will be expectations of him next year unlike Tokyo 2020, which he was happy just to be a part of.
“That was crazy,” the 20-year-old recalled of the summer of 2021. “I was like the third-place boy, fifth-place boy growing up in the professional leagues. I never really had a first or a second throughout my career.
“So going into the Olympics in Tokyo, I never had any expectations on myself. I was just happy we finally made it. Three years of grinding and working our asses off and finally qualifying for the Olympics.
“I was just stoked to be there.”
Asked how he thinks he’ll hold up when Paris rolls around, Palmer said, “We’ll find out when we get there. Right now, I’m chilling. No worries at all.
“But that morning of the contest, that’s when the nerves start flowing for me. I don’t really get nervous before or after.
“It’s just when I’m right in the moment when my nerves flow.”
