FILE – Filipino skateboarder Margielyn Didal during the awarding ceremony of the street skateboarding event of 2019 Southeast Asian Games at Tagaytay Extreme Sports Complex on Saturday. PHOTO BY EARVIN PERIAS
MANILA, Philippines—Margielyn Didal, reigning Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games skateboarding champ, is wheeling to Tokyo as the country’s 10th chaser of its first ever Olympic gold.
With her semifinal finish in the ongoing Street World Championships-Olympics Qualification event in Rome, the 22-year-old Filipina secured the spot for next month’s games, according to Skate Pilipinas.
The association posted a message early Saturday over Facebook that “our very own Margielyn Didal has earned a slot for the Tokyo Olympics.”
But official announcement will be made by the World Skate on June 30 once all the qualifying meets are concluded.
Didal finished 17th in the Qualifying with 19.00 points. It wasn’t enough for her to make the final but already allowed her to finish in the top 20 in world rankings.
Points in the World qualifier was added to the skaters’ world ranking which was based on their performances in international meets over the past years.
From 14th in world rankings before Rome, Didal even wound up a notch higher which was well within the cut-off.
Japanese Yumeka Oda and Momiji Nishaya made a 1-2 finish in the Olympic qualifying meet with 40.22 and 34.11 points, respectively.
Their compatriot Kaya Isa was fourth (32.92) behind Netherland’s Roos Zwetsloot (33.00).
Didal, who is expected to face the hometown bets on her way to an Olympic gold medal, garnered 27,560 points in World Skateboarding Rankings.
It was topped by Brazilians Pamela Rosa and Rayssa Leal who amassed 240,000 and 187,330 points, respectively. Japan’s Aori Nishimura (89,600) and Leticia Bufoni also of Brazil (81,280) placed third and fourth overall.