MANILA – Filipina skateboarder Margielyn Didal has officially qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to the World Skate on Wednesday.
Didal became the 10th Philippine athlete to qualify for the Olympics.
She was also one of the 20 skateboarders who will compete in the women’s street skateboarding event from July 25 to 26 in Tokyo, Japan.
“I don’t know what to say, but GRAZIE MILLE see you in Tokyo,” Didal wrote on her Facebook account following the confirmation of her Olympics stint.
The Cebuana skateboarder earned qualifications for the Summer Games, following her World Skate Championships stint last week in Rome, Italy.
The 22-year-old Didal – a gold medal awardee in the women’s street events in Asia in 2018 and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games – occupied the 14th spot in the world rankings.
It took days for Didal to formalize her Olympic qualification after missing out on an outright berth when she ranked 17th in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament semifinals round on Friday.
However, Didal’s semifinals finish during the Dew Tour Des Moines in Des Moines, City of Iowa last month, helped her maintain her world ranking.
Didal will join weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, boxers Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio, and Carlo Paalam, gymnast Caloy Yulo, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, taekwondo Jin Kurt Barbosa, and rower Cris Nievarez in representing the country to the Olympics./PN
