Harry Clarke ready to defend World Skate Games downhill title

Australia’s reigning downhill skateboarding world champion Harry Clarke is ready to put six years of preparation to the test as he returns to the World Skate Games in Paraguay to defend his title.

Clarke produced one of the defining performances of the 2024 World Skate Games in Italy, powering to gold in the men’s downhill skateboarding final in Tortoreto.

Now, two years on, the Sydney-born rider is preparing for another battle against the world’s fastest downhill skaters when the World Skate Games return to Asunción from 2–18 October.

The focus has been on the start, which Clarke says is critical.

“The first five seconds of the race is pretty important,” Clarke said. 

“It gives you an advantage over the race, being able to command the race.”

That explosive start is just one part of a preparation process that has been refined over years of racing at the highest level.

“It is something I have been training pretty consistently for the last six or seven years,” he said.

“There’s push work, there’s gym sessions, and just trying to get out and skate as much as humanly possible.”

The 28-year-old has built one of the most decorated careers in modern downhill skateboarding.

Clarke first claimed the IDF Open Skateboard World Championship in 2019, a season in which he won multiple World Qualifying Series races, including La Violenta in Argentina. He also became the first rider to win a Maryhill event on his first attempt, something thought previously impossible. 

He added another world title at the 2024 World Skate Games in Italy, before winning the WDSC Championship Tour round at Roan Mountain later that year. In 2025, he claimed another WDSC victory at Park City in Utah.

His consistency has continued into 2026, with Clarke finishing second at the WDSC Isle of Man round in July.

But defending a world title is as much about managing the week as it is about raw speed.

At the World Skate Games, the downhill competition is spread across practice, qualifying and race day, meaning riders need to balance pushing their limits with ensuring they arrive at the final fresh.

“We need to get those skate specific muscles ready for the big days,” Clarke said.

“We run our competition over three days, practice, qualifying and race day. It’s really important to pace yourself over the week and make sure that you are fresh for race day.”

That has shaped the focus of Clarke’s final preparation, with training increasingly designed to replicate the demands of competition.

“We are doing a lot of simulation work in our training now, simulating the practice day, simulating qualifying, simulating the maximum out of a qualifying day,” he said.

“Giving ourselves exposure to racing, to skating tight and all the good stuff.”

Clarke knows exactly what is required when race day arrives.

In Italy two years ago, he navigated the tight, high-speed course in Tortoreto to finish less than half a second ahead of Frenchman Andréas Bouclier and claim the world title. 

This time, Clarke returns to the World Skate Games as the defending champion and with another six years of skate-specific preparation behind him.