SARASOTA (WSNN) – Olympian skateboarder, Jake Ilardi, returns to Sarasota with a sweet homecoming at SRQ.
Skateboarding made its debut at the Olympics in Tokyo
Jake a part of the first USA skateboarding team, making history.
However, with japan’s strict COVID-19 restrictions, his family wasn’t able to be in the stands cheering him on.
Even so, they’ve been supporting him every step of the way.
Jake’s grandmother and twin brother, Nate, welcomed him with flowers and smiles.
“My main goal going over there wasn’t to medal, it was more to show the world skateboarding and inspire more people to start skating,” Jake Ilardi said. “I was on the way over here in LA, and this mom came up to me and told me her daughter started skateboarding because she watched the Olympics this weekend. So, mission accomplished.”
Jake didn’t make the finals, finishing 11th overall. He said one of the coolest moments was the opening ceremony and meeting skateboard legend, Tony Hawk. Jake plans are in Paris for the next games.
