Street skateboarding phenomenon Chloe Covell begs the question – what were you doing at 14 years of age?
In Paris, Covell could become the youngest gold medallist in Australian Olympic history.
At the same age, Australian team chef de mission Anna Meares was still five years away from being eligible to start her illustrious international track cycling career.
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At 34, skateboarding teammate Shane O’Neill is old enough to be her father.
Australian swimmer Sandra Morgan was 14 years and six months old when she won gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Covell was born on February 9, 2010, meaning she would shade Morgan should she win on July 28.
“It makes it an incredibly inclusive sport with a great culture, and a social element to it,” Meares said of Covell’s youth.
“At 14, for me, I was worried about what breakfast I had, what exam was at school, the 10km I ride I was going to do for training with my sister.”
But Meares notes that there is something more to Covell than most 14-year-olds.
“She has it covered – she does amazing in every event,” she said.
“A lot of us get nervous before the event … as soon as she gets going, it’s business as usual.”
Covell is also tough – she is “pretty chill” about a couple of fractured fingers she suffered in training ahead of Paris.
As the Tweed Heads local notes, she has “little bones”.
Covell is also revelling in this most excellent adventure, which entails her having a chaperone because she is so young.
“I’m definitely a little nervous because it’s the biggest stage and the biggest competition,” she said.
“There are famous people walking around everywhere. But I’m also very excited, I have all my gear, I tried it all on.
“It’s a really cool experience to be here.”
It is no accident that women’s skateboarding features Covell and several other teenagers.
After the sport made its Olympic debut in Tokyo, younger girls in particular took careful notice.
“Women’s skateboarding, in general, is progressing super-fast and all over the world, there are a lot more younger girls getting into (the sport), they have such a good frame group (sic), a lot of different people to skate with,” O’Neill said.
“They’re a lot more accepted than they have been.
“Chloe – she’s one of the best … she’s only 14. I don’t know where it’s heading – it’s good.”
Covell took up skateboarding when she was six and has rocketed into the sport’s upper echelons over the last three years with a series of big international results.
