Didal excited over new shot at winning an Olympic gold

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Skateboarder Margielyn Didal, the Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Year, will now have two shots at the elusive Olympic gold.

The International Olympic Committee recently penciled skateboarding as a regular event in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I’m more focused on achieving the target and excited to qualify in both Olympics (2020 Tokyo and Paris),” Didal, the Asian Games champion, said in Filipino.

The 19-year-old star from Cebu City, now ranked 14th in the world, just needs to maintain her standing to book a ticket to Tokyo. She will participate in a series of Olympic qualifying trips with backing from Go For Gold Philippines.

Four more tournaments in London, United States, China and Japan offer ranking points for the world’s top 60 female skateboarders who are seeking one of 38 slots available in the Olympics.

But the contest in Asia to secure a ticket is tight since only one spot is available for the continent.

Japan, as host country, has two automatic berths with Didal expected to seize the lone continental slot since she’s the highest ranked Asian after Japanese Aori Nishimura, the 2018 World Skate SLS champion.

“We can earn it, but I don’t want to be complacent,” said Didal.

Skateboarding chief Monty Mendigoria said they recently accredited 12 new judges and referees under Asian Extreme Sports Federation technical director Warren Stuart.

“We are laying down the foundation to discover and produce more talents,” said Mendigoria, president of the Skateboarding and Roller Sports Association of the Philippines.

The skateboarding association will hold a series of nationwide tryouts beginning with the Luzon leg on March 16 and 17 in Iba, Zambales, before going to Didal’s hometown in Cebu for the Visayas leg on April 6 and 7. The Mindanao leg is scheduled May 25 and 26 in General Santos City before the national championships on Aug. 24 and 25 in Laguna.