Aurélien Giraud: World Champ Then 16th at the Olympics – The Best French Skater Ever?

On February 5, 2023, at the Aljada skatepark in Sharjah, UAE, Aurélien Giraud became world street champion. Eighteen months later, at Place de la Concorde, before the Paris crowd, he drops out of the Games qualifiers. Sixteenth. Same dude, same board, same goofy from Lyon.

Watch Aurélien Giraud wins the SLS Paris 2024, the first stop of the Street League in Paris

So who’s the best French skater ever? You’ve probably got your answer. Your park buddy has another. We lay everything out, the official numbers first, and we cut it at the end. For real.

Aurélien Giraud, de Gerland au Tampa Am 2015

Giraud was born in Lyon on February 3, 1998. He pushed his first board at about five, and Gerland skatepark shaped him. At seven, he already won his first national competition, the V7 Teenage Tour. Kids his age learned the ollie, he collected the cuts.

The real spark hit in 2015, in Florida. Giraud wins the Tampa Am at 17, the most hyped amateur contest on the planet. He swaps a planned 360 double flip for a nollie kickflip backside overcrook. He says this trick changed his life.

They often say Tampa opened everything up for him in a flash. The dates say otherwise: Plan B only turned him pro in February 2020, after his Dew Tour win. Four years of waiting. In 2021, Nike SB cut a big chunk of its skate crew and Giraud was in the mix. By the end of 2021, it was etnies that picked up the Lyonnais.

The résumé laid out plain: Dew Tour, Sharjah, SLS Paris

The results, no frills. World Cup in Vigo 2017. Dew Tour in Long Beach 2019, street final won. French champion 2019 in Biarritz, then 2022 in Hyères. Second in Rome 2022, on a World Skate circuit event.

Then the two lines that matter. The world champion title in Sharjah, Feb 5, 2023, at street worlds that also handed points for Paris 2024. And in February 2024, the very first stop in the history of the Street League in Paris. Giraud takes it with 36.4 points, at home.

The timeline

Rewind: Lyon, March 2020, 25 Steps

March 2020. The 25 Steps in Lyon, a stairwell every skater knows without ever stepping on it. Ali Boulala tried it in 2002. Aaron “Jaws” Homoki nailed it in October 2015. Between those, almost nobody dared.

Giraud climbs to the top, looks down, and pushes. The sound of wheels on the slab, then silence for a beat, then the impact. He makes four attempts, all close, none nailed. He leaves with a bruise and a week on crutches.

That day says it all about the guy. A contest skater hunting the hottest spot in his city, no judges, no score. That’s the Giraud the purists forget when they slot him into the “athlete” box.

Tokyo 6th, Paris 16th: the heavy dossier

July 25, 2021, the first Olympic street event in history, in Tokyo. Giraud finished sixth. Vincent Milou, the other Frenchman, finished fourth, a podium spot. First point for the other camp.

Then Paris 2024. Giraud arrives as reigning world champ, winner of the SLS in Paris six months earlier, expected everywhere. He comes out in the qualifiers, sixteenth. At home, that’s the kind of result that sticks with a guy for years.

And that’s where the debate stalls. At the Games, his highest placement is a sixth place. Milou did better in Tokyo. If you only look at the rings, Giraud isn’t even the best Frenchman of his generation.

Salabanzi, Puig, Milou: the three blocking his path

Bastien Salabanzi first. Born in Toulon, French champion at 11 in 1997, first amateur to win a world title in 2001 in Dortmund. In 2004 he took Tampa Pro and landed third at the X Games. His parts in Flip, Sorry – 2002 and Really Sorry – 2003 went worldwide. A trick even carries his name, the Salabanzi flip.

Lucas Puig next, the Toulousain. Not a contest guy. He’s in Lakai Fully Flared – 2007, opened adidas Away Days – 2016, and co-founded Hélas in 2011. For most of the street scene, he’s the biggest, and the resume isn’t even in the same league.

Vincent Milou finally, the biggest threat to Giraud. Born in 1996 from Tarnos. European champ in 2019, fourth in Tokyo, silver at the X Games in 2022. And on October 11, 2025, he won the SLS Paris on the Suzanne-Lenglen court at Roland‑Garros. Two Frenchmen, two back‑to‑back SLS wins in Paris.

The verdict, official numbers: it’s Giraud

We count it. World Skate world champion title: Giraud, sole. Street League stop win: Giraud and Milou. Dew Tour: Giraud. Tampa: Giraud in amateurs, Salabanzi in pros. X Games podium: Salabanzi and Milou. Best Olympic result: Milou.

No other Frenchman has won both a federation world title and a Street League stop. Giraud has both, plus the Dew Tour and Tampa Am. Out of the six big street competition spots, he fills four. Milou fills three, Salabanzi two.

So why is this still up for debate? Two reasons, and neither holds up against the numbers. First, Paris 2024: a home‑court 16th place weighs heavier in minds than ten wins abroad. Second, the street scene judges first by the vids, and Giraud hasn’t dropped his Sorry yet.

If you put Salabanzi or Puig in front, you’re picking a vibe, not the toughest rider. It’s a taste, it’s legit, but it’s not a ranking. If you put Milou ahead because of Tokyo, you’re judging a career in a single day. Aurélien Giraud is the best French skater in history. The debate goes on because we love the debate, not because results leave a doubt.

Today’s take: what it means for LA 2028

Giraud’s 28. In 2026, he finished seventh in the SLS in Los Angeles, and Milou’s still stuck in his lane. The qualifications for LA 2028 are on now, and they’ll settle the last question that’s still hanging: an Olympic medal.

His rider profile keeps the stats fresh. The next time someone drops “Giraud is just a contest dude,” you’ve got the numbers. And the Lyon 25 vid.