MANILA, Philippines – Asian Games gold medalist Margielyn Didal looks to kill two birds in one stone as she sees action in the World Skates/Street League Skateboarding World Championships starting Friday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Didal, a 20-year-old Cebuana who captured the hearts of the Filipinos when she struck gold in the Asiad in Palembang, Indonesia last year, will try to earn qualifying points to next year’s Tokyo Olympics while hoping to use her participation here as part of her build up to the 30th Southeast Asian Games in Tagaytay City.
Didal placed fifth the last time she competed in this same competition in Los Angeles, and she hopes she could do better this time, possibly snatch a medal that should earn her Olympic qualifying points.
She would need all the points that she could muster after falling from 10th in the World Olympic skateboarding rankings to currently 13th for failing to participate in the Skateboarding Open in Qingfeng, China early this month.
The Skateboarding and Roller Sports Association of the Philippines, Inc. (SRAPI) has also fielded in Fil-German Daniel Ledermann, the national men’s champion, with hopes of also earning another berth to Tokyo.
Like Didal, Ledermann is another potential goldmine for the country in the SEAG.