Skateboarding fans were in for a surprise as Tokyo Olympic champion Yuto Horigome fell short at the Olympic Qualifier Series on Thursday. Scoring 81.88 points, he finished 17th—just one spot away from the semi-final cutoff. 😖
Despite the setback, the 25-year-old remains optimistic. \"I am not satisfied with my performance today, but I still have a chance to secure a position in the Paris Olympic Games. I will work harder and try to be among Paris Olympic skateboarders,\" Horigome shared.
Meanwhile, fellow Japanese skater Netsuke Kairi soared to the top with a triumphant 90.41. 🥇🇯🇵 Horigome wasn't alone in facing an early exit; Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Kelvin Hoefler of Brazil also failed to advance, posting a best score of 68.44.
In men's sport climbing, reigning Olympic champion Alberto Ginés López from Spain climbed his way to third place out of 46 athletes in the bouldering qualification. 🇪🇸 South Korea's Lee Dohyun took first with 84.9 points, and Britain's Hamish Mcarthur secured second with 84.6 points. 🧗♂️
China's Pan Yufei tied for 15th with Germany's Yannick Flohé. After Friday's competition, the top 20 athletes will advance to the semi-final phase.
In women's bouldering, China's Luo Zhilu finished fifth among 48 climbers with a score of 84.8. 🇨🇳 Ukraine's Ievgeniia Kazbekova led the pack with an impressive 99.8. \"It feels great but the numbers are just numbers. It's way more important that I'm proud of my climbing, and definitely this round is one of the best I've had,\" Kazbekova said. 💪
Luo, battling a cold, vowed to come back stronger. \"I caught a cold and it influenced me a lot. The routes were not very hard for me,\" she said. \"I will try to get back to my best form as soon as possible.\" 🤒💪
In the women's skateboarding park qualifying round, Olympic silver medalist Kokona Hiraki had a spectacular second run, taking first place with 83.66 points. 🥇 She was followed by Austrian Arisa Trew (81.09) and teammate Mizuho Hasegawa (79.03). \"I am happy that I made it full in the first run already,\" said Hiraki.
Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao narrowly missed the top 16, ranking 20th with 51.73. \"I'll keep pushing forward and aim for better results next time,\" she commented. 🇨🇳🛹
The Olympic Qualifier Series continues to bring unexpected twists and thrilling performances. Stay tuned for more action! 🎉
(Cover: A view of the men's skateboarding event during the Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai, China, May 16, 2024. /CFP)
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
