The cancellation of Olympic qualifying events for skateboard may bode well for Margielyn Didal, the Philippines’ bet for the sport that makes its Summer Games debut in Tokyo this year.
Didal is ranked 14th in the world and third in Asia by World Skate, comfortably within the circle of street skaters who will earn outright berths to the Olympics, which start this July.
And the cancellation of qualifiers means lesser opportunities for those outside the top 16 to dislodge Didal from her current perch.
But the Asian Games champion and her team see things differently.
“The fewer events she has to go, the more [of her time] she could manage … but we’re really knocking on the door of an [Olympic] medal,” Carl Sambrano, president of the Skateboarding and Roller Sports Association, told the Inquirer on Saturday.
That’s why Didal prefers more qualifiers to compete in, according to Sambrano.
“The only way we can simulate for the Olympics is for her to compete in Olympic-sanctioned events,” Sambrano said.
Two of the seven upcoming events for Didal have been canceled due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Three others remain up in the air, leaving Didal with just two definite competitions: The Raizin ARK League in Japan this April, and the Street League Skateboarding World Championships in the United Kingdom this May.