With the Asian Games gold medal in the bag, Margielyn Didal is now shooting for a much bigger prize: qualifying and possibly winning a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
“I want to earn qualifying points for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games,” declared Didal.
Just like most sports in the Olympics, athletes need to earn ranking or qualifying points to be eligible to compete in Tokyo 2020.
In the case of skateboarding, which will be making its debut as a medal sport in the quadrennial global sports showcase, it will take a series of Olympic qualifiers to determine the 80 participants in the discipline: 20 each in the men and women’s park and street events, respectively.
As the Olympic host, Japan is guaranteed one slot in each of the four events, while the top three finishers in the world skateboard championships immediately before the Olympics will earn tickets to Tokyo.
The remaining 16 slots will be based on the Olympic skateboarding world rankings by June 2020, with a country allowed to field as many as three eligible skateboarders in each of the four events.
Didal and the other Olympic skateboarding hopefuls from all over the world will have their first crack at earning qualifying points in the Street League Skateboarding world championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in January.
“While there will also be Olympic qualifiers in Asia, we are lining up Margie to compete in Rio so she can earn a maximum of ranking points,” bared Skateboard Association of the Philippines, Inc. president Monty Mendigoria of their plans for the outstanding Cebuana skateboarder.
Didal herself disclosed that she will be competing before the end of the year at an all-women speed skate event in San Diego, California.
Asked what she would do with the multi-million bonanza for her golden efforts, the perky Didal replied: “Maybe we will put up a family business. Kasi hindi lahat ng panahon makakapag-skateboard ako.”
Indeed, hers is a rags-to-riches story, as she was discovered six years ago by coach Danny Bautista while helping her mother, a sidewalk vendor, selling kwek-kwek just outside the Concave Skate Park in Lahug, Cebu City.
“Margie took one look at my skateboard and tried it out. I knew then she had a knack for the sport,” said Bautista of the street kid, who became an instant prodigy once she got the hang of the sport, competing often against boys until she surpassed them in both skill and ability.
Among her previous achievements were – take note – ruling the men’s Class A title as well as “Best Trick” honors in the Pangasinan skateboarding championships in 2016.
In 2017, she ruled the men’s division of the Iloilo leg of the Vans Tour on top garnering top honors in “The Best Line.”
Didal credits her stint in the Street League Skateboarding championships in London last May and her X-Games outing in Minneapolis, Minnesota last July as the perfect Asian Games build-up.
“Naging malaking bagay po yong events na ito for my preparations sa Asian Games,” said the perky Cebuana, who held her own against the world’s best and finished eighth in both major skateboarding events.
In the meantime, Didal, who was supposed to leave on Thursday, will stay a bit longer and will be the country’s flag-bearer at the 18th Asian Games closing ceremonies this Sunday at the Gelora Bung Karno national stadium in Jakarta.
