Olympics-Skateboarding-Paris medallists eagerly await sport's homecoming in Los Angeles

By Rory Carroll and Mimosa Spencer

PARIS (Reuters) - Skateboarding's inclusion at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics has boosted its popularity globally and now the sport's top athletes say they cannot wait to bring it back to where it all began when Los Angeles hosts the Games in 2028.

Skateboarding is thought to have originated in Southern California in the 1950s, with surfers riding wooden boards attached to rollerskate wheels on days when they could not catch waves.

In the 1980s and 90s, skateboarding was popularised by indie videos of teenagers skating in empty pools and desolate parks and it has been a huge draw at the Paris Games.

"Skateboarding started in California so I'm hoping it's just going to be on another level," American Tom Schaar said after winning silver in the park event on Wednesday.

Schaar and his friend and rival Keegan Palmer both live in Southern California and said they were excited to have the competition in their backyard.

"I'm for sure excited for the LA Olympics," said Palmer, who represents Australia and won the park event to defend his title from Tokyo.

"It's the heart of skateboarding and we both live really close to each other in San Diego so we can probably just drive to the contest."

The sport's growing profile has led to more skateboarders, more skate parks and, in turn, more fierce competition.

"I would say that the level since Tokyo has gone up over 10 times, and you can only assume that LA is going to be 10 times harder than that," said Palmer, who is 21.

"As long as me and Tom can keep up with everyone, we should be able to make it there. We're going to see what the qualifying series looks like in the next six months."

Schaar, 24, said he hoped he could keep up with the next generation in the rapidly evolving sport.

"I'll really be the old guy by the LA Olympics," he said. "Hopefully I can stick around."

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Paris; editing by Clare Fallon)