Bryce Wettstein Scores First X Games Medal In Tokyo Tune-Up
by Todd Kortemeier
Bryce Wettstein competes at the X Games Minneapolis 2019 on Aug. 02, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minn
Competing at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be an unfamiliar experience for Bryce Wettstein and all the other skateboarders as their sport makes its Olympic debut.
That wasn’t the case for Wettstein on Friday. She won the bronze medal in the women’s skateboard park competition at the X Games, held close to home at the CA Training Facility in Vista, California, where Wettstein won the 2019 national championship.
While she fell short of gold, it was nonetheless a historic first career X Games medal for the 16-year-old. Thirteen-year-old phenom Sky Brown of Great Britain took the gold medal while Mami Tezuka of Japan was second.
CATF is practically home turf for Wettstein, who grew up just minutes away in coastal Encinitas in the North County suburbs of San Diego. It was the Encinitas YMCA where Wettstein got her start in skating at the age of 5. She’s since competed at four world championships with a career-best finish of sixth in 2018. She made her X Games debut that same year, finishing just off the podium in fourth.
In her spare time, the student at San Dieguito Academy also plays volleyball and writes songs for the ukulele. She’s even uploaded some to her YouTube channel.
The women’s park competition in Tokyo gets underway in just under three weeks, taking place Aug. 4 from Ariake Urban Sports Park.
Todd Kortemeier #
Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.