Champion Tweed Heads skateboarder stars in new Tony Hawk video game

TWEED Heads skateboarder Chloe Covell has returned home as a world champion and joined some of the legends of the sport as a playable character in the new Tony Hawk video game.

The 15-year-old Olympian took out the WST Street World Cup in Rome and won a third gold medal at the X Games in Osaka, Japan.

Her performances on the world stage were enhanced by her inclusion in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 game, which was released on July 11.

The game has been distributed worldwide and includes skateboarding legends Bob Burnquist, Bucky Lasek, Rodney Mullen and Hawk.

“I’m super happy with the last month, I’ve been skating my best and doing well in competitions,” Covell said.

“I’m having so much fun at the same time.

“Being a character in the new game is so insane because it is such a legendary game and has so many sick skaters in it.

“Since I got the game I’ve been playing it almost every night.

“Tony Hawk came up to me at X Games Salt Lake City to congratulate me on making the game.”

In July 2023, Covell became the youngest X Games gold medallist when she was victorious in the women’s street event at the age of 13.

She captured further attention as the youngest member of the Australian skateboarding team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Covell was supported at the event with coaching by her father Luke Covell, who played 153 NRL games with the Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks.

It will be fitting if she competes at Los Angeles in 2028 as it is home to some of the best skaters in the world.

It will be just the third time skateboarding has been part of the Olympic program.

Covell qualified for the final in Paris after a strong showing in the preliminary rounds and finished eighth overall.

“I haven’t started thinking about the Olympics just yet as it is still far away, but I have definitely started training for it,” she said.

“I want to be able to skate my best and I’m hoping for a better result than last time.

“I’m doing a mix between gym and skating and also recovery. I take Fridays off so I can have a rest day and give my body some fuel.”