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Andy Macdonald began his professional skateboarding career 14 years before Team GB colleagues Sky Brown and Lola Tambling were born, and he declared the sport was his “fountain of youth” after making an Olympic debut at the age of 51.
Macdonald finished 18th of 22 in the men’s park preliminaries on the Place de la Concorde in Paris and never remotely threatened the top eight needed to make the final.
But for an athlete, who 26 years ago was selected the Best Overall Skater in a readers’ poll of a top skateboarding trade magazine, just being at the Olympics was worthy of the gold medal itself.
“People were like ‘are you going for the gold?’ and I was saying if they’re giving away gold medals for whoever is having the most fun I’ve definitely got it racked up,” said Macdonald, who is 35 years older than British teammates Brown and Tambling.
“I didn’t look at the scores, I wasn’t here for the scores. Qualifying for Paris was the Hail Mary long shot from the get-go.
“I was trying to represent that skateboarding is fun. No matter what age you are – this is the coolest, most fun inclusive thing you can do.
“It’s my livelihood and it keeps me young, skateboarding is literally my fountain of youth.”
American-born Macdonald began skating at the age of 12 in his home state of Massachusetts.
It's my livelihood and it keeps me young, skateboarding is literally my fountain of youth— Andy Macdonald
He turned professional in 1994 and became one of America’s best-known skateboarders, leading the push Stateside for a sport known for youthful competitors to gain Olympic recognition.
That breakthrough moment finally arrived in Tokyo three years ago, but Macdonald’s own hopes of competing at the Games only came via a British link – his father Rodrick was born in Luton – and negotiating the final qualifier in Budapest.
“I promised my wife Rebecca in our wedding vows I would take her to Paris as often as I could,” said Macdonald, whose enthusiasm for life in the Olympic Village has included taking ‘selfies’ with 11-year-old Chinese skater Zheng Haohao and getting up at 6am to “enjoy every minute”.
“She used to live in Paris and speaks French, but it’s 15 years since I brought here when I did a demo in Grand Palais.”
Macdonald’s final act before his three runs was to shake hands with Keefer Wilson, the 17-year-old Australian who is a year younger than his son and three times younger than him.
In the arena, there was no doubting who was the fans’ favourite. Macdonald’s every move was cheered to the hilt, there were boos when his modest scores – 72.07, 76.61, 77.66 – were announced and a crowd-pleasing back-flip to finish.
Macdonald once delivered an anti-drug speech at The White House and skated down the marble floor of the hallway before it.
Asked if he fancied doing something similar in the UK, he said: “Part of the Great Britain kit is a suit. When I got mine I said ‘we’re skateboarders, why do we need a suit?’.
“Somebody told me it’s (for) when the King invites you to tea.”
