Nyjah Huston has already stood on the Olympic podium, but the road to success has not always been easy. After winning bronze in men’s street skateboarding at the Paris Olympics 2024, the American star suffered a serious accident that left him with skull and eye socket fractures. At that point, the road back to competition seemed uncertain. Yet, at 31, Huston is not ready to walk away from skateboarding. With the LA28 Olympics approaching, he has a new reason to keep pushing his limits and prove that he still has what it takes to compete with the sport’s younger stars.

Speaking to Olympics.com, Huston explained why the 2028 Games mean so much to him. “The timing is perfect with the Olympics coming to LA (in 2028),” he said. Huston admitted that if the Games were taking place outside California, he would still try to qualify, but would not feel the same pressure to make it. Los Angeles, however, is a different story.

The city has been closely tied to his career.  After moving to Southern California at 15, inspired by skateboarding videos filmed in Los Angeles, Huston spent years living in the area and exploring its street spots. He has said he has spent more time street skating in LA than in any other city in the world. “Simply because of those things, it’s extra motivation…,” Huston said

That personal connection gives Huston another reason to push forward, but reaching LA28 will also depend on whether he can stay healthy. In January 2026, a serious crash left him with fractures to his skull and eye socket. The recovery was difficult, with Huston later describing how his head felt rattled for months and how he spent around 10 days largely in bed before gradually becoming more active. Then, in May, another accident left him with a fractured jaw and cheekbone, along with a lacerated kidney. Coming back from multiple serious injuries has made the challenge of preparing for another Olympic appearance even greater.

By the time the LA28 Games begin, Huston will be 33. While age alone does not rule out competing at the highest level, years of skateboarding and repeated injuries mean that recovery and longevity have become increasingly important. Huston has previously spoken about dealing with knee pain and ankle sprains, as well as the strain skating places on his body. In a 2024 interview, he explained that he generally avoids skating on consecutive days to give himself time to recover.

“I really want to make it there and stay healthy, especially as I’ll be 33 at that point,” he said. “It would be great to be out there; it would be really special.” For an athlete whose career has been built on pushing the limits of what is possible on a skateboard, learning when to rest has become just as important as mastering the next trick. Huston knows that talent alone will not carry him to Los Angeles. 

“I know I’m in the tail-end of my contest career,” Huston admitted. “You can only keep up with the young ’uns for so long. It’s all about longevity at this point.” However, qualifying for LA28 is not guaranteed, and Huston still has work to do before he can secure his place.  And his recent results show that he still has plenty to offer.

Nyjah Huston sends strong message as Olympic comeback hopes grow

Huston’s reputation as one of skateboarding’s most decorated athletes comes from years of success across the X Games, Street League Skateboarding (SLS) and World Championships. He has won 11 X Games gold medals in skateboard street, seven SLS Super Crown titles, and six World Championship gold medals. He also reached the Olympic podium at Paris 2024 by winning bronze in men’s street skateboarding after finishing seventh at Tokyo 2020. But even a career filled with titles has not spared Huston from setbacks.

After suffering serious injuries in 2026, he faced a difficult road back to competition. Still, he showed he was not ready to slow down. In June, Huston returned to the X Games and claimed silver in men’s street skateboarding.

He carried that momentum into the Street League Skateboarding event in Paris on October 3, where he delivered another standout performance. Scoring 36.4 points, Huston secured his 28th career SLS victory and his first SLS trophy in 17 months. Among the highlights was a nollie heelflip noseblunt on the kink rail, as he consistently put up high scores throughout the contest.

After the victory, Huston made it clear that he still believes in his ability, saying, “We still got it.” He also revealed that he wants to reach 30 SLS wins. With LA28 approaching, his recent results show that he is still determined to test himself against the best and give himself a chance to return to the Olympic stage.