Filipina skateboarding superstar Margielyn Didal may not have won gold in the Tokyo Olympics, but she definitely won hearts around the world when she represented the Philippines in the first ever street skateboarding competition in the Olympics.
The 22-year-old Cebu native managed to make it to the finals of the competition despite having to endure an ankle sprain, which was evident while she was performing at the Ariake Sports Park, as per Philippine Daily Inquirer. She finished in 7th place.
Despite being in pain, her infectious energy was seen throughout her performance. She was also very supportive of her competitors, particularly the 13-year old Raysssa Leal of Brazil. The Tokyo Olympic committee even took notice of Didal, tweeting about her positive attitude. Didal was seen to be smiling and dancing while skating, showing how she was clearly enjoying being in the competition.
The fact that Didal managed to clinch a place in the finals was an achievement in itself. To put things into perspective, Didal is currently ranked number 17 in the world. The number one street skateboarder in the world, Brazil’s Pamela Rosa didn’t qualify for the finals round. Other favored participants such as Leticia Bufoni of Brazil and Mariah Duran of USA failed to make the finals as well.
Japan’s 13-year-old skater Nishiya Momiji bagged the gold medal in the competition, while Leal of Brazil won silver. Another Japanese skater, Nakayama Funa, won the bronze medal. This year’s Olympics marks the debut of skateboarding in the Olympics.
Didal first made international headlines when she won the Asian games in 2018. Since then, she has taken the skateboarding world by storm. She also won two gold medals in the 2018 Southeast Asian Games. Needless to say, this isn’t the last the skateboarding world will see of Didal.
