Road to Tokyo Olympics begins for Didal

MANILA, Philippines — Go For Gold will be backing the qualifying bid of Margielyn Arda Didal to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Cebuana skateboarding heroine is set to begin her quest to earn a spot in the global quadrennial Games during the Street League Skateboarding PRO Championships in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on Jan. 8-11 in the first Olympic ranking competition in the sport.

The 19-year-old Didal, who catapulted to instant fame when she captured a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games, will be in the company of the world’s best in the discipline including Brazilian Monica Torres, Australian Haley Wilson, Candy Jacobs of the Netherlands and 16-year-old Japanese world champion Aori Nishimura.

``I believe she is one of the leading contenders for our country to get another Olympic medal,’’ said Go For Gold godfather Jeremy Go.

Didal would love to follow the footsteps of 2016 Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz or even surpass the feat of the Filipino weightlifting star by aiming for the country’s first Olympic gold in the 2020 Tokyo Games.

“It’s a dream that I hope to fulfill. But for now, my focus is how to earn a spot in the Olympics through a series of ranking competitions where I have to perform at my best,’’ said Didal, one of the several national athletes in the six sports that Go For Gold has been supporting.

Also seeing action in the Rio qualifier, considered the 2019 world championship of skateboarding, is Christiana Means, an Oregon-based Pinay skater.

“We wish her (Didal) good luck in her tournament and will continue to support her and our other Pinoy skateboarders,’’ said Go.

Aside from skateboarding, Go For Gold is also behind the success of several national athletes from cycling, triathlon, sepak takraw, dragonboat and wrestling.

The top 14 women of Street League Skateboarding will see action in Rio beginning Tuesday. The events also feature world-renowned skaters Pamela Rosa, Alexis Sablone, Kate Shengeliya, Jenn Sotto, Lacey Baker, Samarria Brevard, Julia Brueckler, Leticia Bufoni and Mariah Duran.