Olympics 2024 skateboarding fans BOO judges after Brit dad of three, 51, handed low score as pal Tony Hawk cheers him on
OLYMPIC fans BOOED the judges after their disappointingly-low score for ‘Rad Dad’ Andy Macdonald.
The adopted Brit has always lived in America but is representing Team GB thanks to his British dad and grandfather.
And he made his Olympics debut at the grand old age of 51 in the men’s park skateboarding.
After falling near the end of his first run, Macdonald, nailed his second effort in the preliminary round at La Concorde.
The veteran, a record-breaking X Games legend who once skated through the White House, threw in a whole box of tricks – including some tail slide and some fakey.
He then completed his run by performing a backflip out of the bowl and landing back on his board in style, sending the crowd wild.
However, after a long wait for the judges to lock in their numbers, the Lion bar lover and dad-of-three was only rewarded with a 76.61.
And that prompted boos, jeers and whistles from the spectators, with many brandishing GB flags.
That placed him in 18th – way out of contention for the eight-man final – with one run to go.
Macdonald – cheered on by best pal and neighbour Tony Hawk – managed a 77.66 in his final effort but did not qualify for the final, 24 hours on from Sky Brown’s brilliant bronze.
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MacDonald said: “I heard the crowd booing about scores but they don’t know.
“They saw me do a backflip, which is kind of easy, but it’s a crowd pleaser. Like in gymnastics, ta-da! And the crowd loves it.
“But it’s not like a points thing. It’s just for fun. I did that for the crowd.”
Viewers at home praised Macdonald’s efforts on social media, with one writing: “Respect.”
Another said: “Age is just a number.”
And another said: “Andy Macdonald, 51 yo skateboarder, proving age is just a number.
“Insane he pulled all of these tricks at such an age.”
One remarked: “Ultimate respect to Andy Macdonald, skateboarding is massively a young person’s game!”
Another chimed in: “Andy Macdonald had the best time being an Olympian.”
Skateboarding icon Hawk, 56, paid tribute to Macdonald on Instagram last weekend, writing: “I’ve been friends with this guy for the last 30 years.
“He is one of the most talented, hardcore skaters you’ll ever meet.
“And he set his sights on an audacious, outlandish goal in 2016: to qualify for the Olympic games as he approached the age of 50.
“I watched him from afar modify (compromise) his vertical skill set to the smaller transitions & walls of park events, struggling to get enough height for flip tricks and proper spins.
“But he persevered with his deep bag of tricks and made it work, flying to every event, quietly collecting points in hopes of making the crucial cutoff for Paris.
“It all came down to the last runs of the final qualifier in Budapest and the stars aligned.
“Some of it was luck, but mostly it was because of his resolute determination, hard work, well-rounded skills, and a devotion to skating unlike any other.
“@andymac720 is 51 and can now add ‘Olympian’ to his storied list of accolades.
“Not that any of us expected – or even wanted – to be here in our formative years.
“But we couldn’t ask for a better representative of our outcast generation on the world stage. Allons-y Andy!”
