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Paris Olympics: Andy Macdonald strikes a blow for the old guys with skateboarding extravaganza

PARIS — In Olympic terms, Andy Macdonald has a whole lot more in common with the ancient statues of gods and kings that line the Place de la Concorde than he has with his fellow skateboarders. He’s old, Andy is, old enough to remember music on cassettes, cords on phones, news on paper.

In an unlikely coda to a remarkable career, the 51-year-old Macdonald reached the Olympics this year, more than two decades after he began campaigning to add skateboarding to the Games. He was the last man off the deck in the preliminary heats, and he drew standing ovations every time he dropped into the Parc Urbain bowl.