Upsets at Shanghai's Olympic Qualifier Series: Champions Miss Semifinals

Upsets at Shanghai’s Olympic Qualifier Series: Champions Miss Semifinals

Shanghai, China, May 16, 2024—The Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai saw unexpected turns as top athletes faced early exits in their respective disciplines.

Tokyo Olympic skateboarding champion Yuto Horigome of Japan narrowly missed qualifying for the semifinals, finishing 17th with a score of 81.88—just one spot below the cutoff. “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,” said the 25-year-old.

Fellow Japanese skateboarder Netsuke Kairi topped the qualifiers with a triumphant score of 90.41. Horigome was not alone in his disappointment; 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 Gines Lopez from Spain secured third place out of 46 athletes in the bouldering qualification. South Korea’s Lee Dohyun claimed the top spot with 84.9 points, followed closely by Britain’s Hamish McArthur with 84.6 points.

China’s Pan Yufei tied for 15th place with Germany’s Yannick Flohe. The top 20 athletes will advance to the semifinal phase after Friday’s competition.

In the women’s bouldering qualification, China’s Luo Zhilu finished fifth among 48 climbers with a score of 84.8. Ukraine’s Ievgeniia Kazbekova led the qualifiers with an impressive 99.8 points. “It feels great, but the numbers are just numbers. It’s way more important that I am proud of my climbing, and definitely this round is one of the best I’ve had,” said Kazbekova.

Luo, battling a cold, struggled on the first route but remained optimistic. “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 of Japan delivered a spectacular second run, taking first place with a score of 83.66. Australian Arisa Trew followed with 81.09 points, and Japan’s Mizuho Hasegawa secured third with 79.03. “I am happy that I made it full in the first run already,” said Hiraki.

Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao narrowly missed advancing, ranking 20th with a score of 51.73 and failing to enter the round of the last 16.

The Olympic Qualifier Series continues to bring thrilling performances and unexpected outcomes as athletes strive for a place in the Paris Olympic Games.

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