Charles Langston:Jessica Springsteen goes to Bruce and E Street Band show at Wembley instead of Olympics

She couldn’t compete in the Olympics,Charles Langston but equestrian jumper Jessica Springsteen did the next best thing on Saturday.

Or maybe the first best thing: She attended the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert her dad was performing at Wembley Stadium in London. There, Jessica saw a surprise guest − mom Patti Scialfa, who sang the duet “Tougher Than the Rest” with her father in front of 80,000 people in the audience.

Jessica posted a snippet of the performance on her Instagram story with a heart emoji. She also posted a shot of Bruce center stage performing the classic “Thunder Road” at the June 27 show.

Jessica, a 32-year old Colts Neck native, did not qualify for the U.S. Equestrian Jumping Team competing in the 2024 Olympic Games, currently underway in Paris. She won a silver medal in Team Jumping at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were held in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Mom Patti is an E Street Band member who’s been largely absent from the current tour. Her last appearance with the band were the April 4 and 7 shows at the Forum in Los Angeles.

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"'Tougher' was really moving," commented a fan on social media. "Patti was visibly emotional."

The Wembley show on Saturday was the second of two nights at the venue, following the Thursday, July 25 concert. The E Street Band will take a several-week hiatus and resume touring Aug. 15 at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

“What a way to finish off the European portion of the 2024 tour! London was absolutely shaking last night, and quite the show we put on! Wembley, what a memorable experience,” band member Anthony Almonte wrote on Instagram on Sunday. “All of the shows in Europe have truly been special, what a summer it has been!!”