The second half the 2019/2020 Olympic qualifying season kicked off over the weekend at the 5-Star Oi STU Open competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 2020 Olympic Games are eight months away, where skateboarding will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo, Japan.
After a week-long of infrequent rain showers, Mother Nature lightened up just in time for Sunday’s final. Only the top eight men and women in street and park disciplines that made it through the quarter and semifinal rounds made it to Sunday’s competition.
Kick-starting a long day of skateboarding was the women’s park final. Standing on the park deck was Bryce Wettstein, Brighton Zeune, Dora Varella, Jordyn Barratt, Misugu Okamoto, Poppy Starr Olsen, Sky Brown, and Sakura Yosozumi. After three 45-second runs from each skater, the top three women to stand on the podium were 11-year-old Sky Brown representing Great Brittain in third place, Sakura Yosozumi in second trailing behind fellow Japanese skateboarder Misugu Okamoto in first place.
Moving on over from women’s park to women’s street, where fans and judges were greeted with another stacked list of challengers. The top eight women’s street finalists included Aori Nishimura, Alexis Sablone, Gabriela Mazetto, Mariah Duran, Pamela Rosa, Rayssa Leal, Roos Zwetsloot, and Virginia Forte Águas. After two 60-second runs and five best trick attempts, the top three victors came out to Aori Nishimura from Japan in third place, 11-year-old Rayssa Leal in second following behind Brazilian teammate, and current women’s street World Champion Pamela Rosa.
The men’s division started things off in the park where the competition was fierce. The top eight finalists included Alex Sorgente, Ben Hatchell, Cory Juneau, Gavin Bottger, Jagger Eaton, Pedro Barros, Tom Schaar, and Oskar Rozenberg. The men’s competition followed the same format as the women. After all was said and done, the podium saw an all-American finish with Ben Hatchell in third, Jagger Eaton in second, and Cory Juneau in first place.
Closing the out the day was the men’s street final. The competition format continued the same steps as the earlier women’s street with Angelo Narvaez, Dashawn Jordan, Jake Ilardi, Kelvin Hoefler, Lucas Rabelo, Nyjah Huston, Sora Shirai, and Yuto Horigome. At the end of many flawless runs and heavy-hitting hammers, the podium winners came out to be Lucas Rabelo of Brazil in third, USA’s Jake Ilardi in second, and holding it down for Japan in first is Sora Shirai.
Watch all the winning runs and best tricks from each skateboarder below, and be sure to check back soon for official Olympic World Skate rankings.
Men’s Park podium winners:
1.) Cory Juneau (USA), 90.50
2.) Jagger Eaton (USA), 89.25
3.) Ben Hatchell (USA) 85.00
Women’s Park Podium Winners:
1.) Misugu Okamoto (JPN), 62.67
2.) Sakura Yosozumi (JPN), 58.00
3.) Sky Brown (GBR), 55.00
Men’s Street Podium Winners
1.) Sora Shirai (JPN), 35.34
2.) Jake Ilardi (USA), 35.24
3.) Lucas Rabelo (BRA), 34.39
Women’s Street Podium Winners:
1.) Pamela Rosa (BRA), 18.49
2.) Rayssa Leal (BRA), 17.09
3.) Aori Nishimura (JPN), 15.60
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