Why Are Olympic Skateboarders Allowed to Wear Headphones?

August 7, 2024

Japan’s Yuto Horigome wore Apple AirPods when he won gold in in the men’s street competition last week, as did bronze medalist Nyjah Huston of Team USA. Silver medalist Jagger Eaton, also of Team USA, wore Samsung buds; Canada’s Cordano Russell wore JLab.

Of those companies, only Samsung is an official IOC partner. The others have no affiliation—they don’t even appear to have deals with the athletes themselves—but they are getting value. News sites and social accounts have picked up on the athletes’ headphone choices, and astute viewers can parse some of the differences. Apple reaped more than $200,000 in media exposure from TV coverage of Huston and Horigome in the men’s street medal round on Saturday, July 27, according to Apex Marketing Group, and more is expected to come from the athletes participating in the men’s park finals, set for Wednesday. Sportico