With three semi-final wins from three events at Olympic qualifying in Budapest, Australia’s skateboarders have their sights firmly set on a place at the Paris Games.
Teenagers Arisa Trew and Chloe Covell won their semis in the women’s park and street competitions respectively, while Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Keegan Palmer scored 93.76 to top the billing in men’s park.
Fellow Olympian Kieran Woolley finished seventh in the park semi-finals to also take his place in the field for Sunday’s final.
The Olympic Qualifier Series in Hungary’s capital is the last opportunity for athletes to secure valuable points that count towards their global standings.
The top 22 from each discipline and gender will qualify for the Games, with a maximum of three athletes per nation.
“To become an Olympian would be the best thing in the whole entire world,” said 14-year-old Trew, who took gold in May’s Olympic qualifier in Shanghai.
“It’s been my goal for such a long time. I’m really excited that I might get the chance to go to the Olympics, which is really, really cool.”
Having watched competition at the Tokyo Games from her local skate park, Cairns-born Trew could be representing Australia in Paris in July.
“(Watching Tokyo) I realised that, ‘Wow, women’s skateboarding is pushing so much’. I want to get to that level as well,” she said.
“It really inspired me to want to go to the Olympics for skateboarding.”
Fellow Queenslander Palmer ripped his final run to take pole position in Saturday’s semi.
“I just can’t believe it. The last run was more like a test for finals,” he said.
“I’ve got a few things hidden up my sleeve for finals tomorrow, it’s just about planning it right.
“We’ve been doing these contests so long now, we should have an idea of what the judges like – they always like changing the run.
“I changed the whole half of my run at the end there and it paid off.”
https://thewest.com.au/sport/olympics/aussie-skateboarders-move-one-step-closer-to-paris-c-15114236
