Athletes to watch at OQS Budapest 2024
All the stars who competed in Shanghai are expected to be in Budapest too as they aim for more points in the qualifying system.
In BMX Freestyle, Anthony Jeanjean, Logan Martin, and Kieran Reilly lead the men’s standings after Shanghai, while there was a Chinese sweep for Sun Sibei, Sun Jiaqi, and Deng Yawen. It means the likes of Charlotte Worthington and Hannah Roberts will need to show up in Budapest to be absolutely sure of obtaining a Paris quota.
B-Boy Jeffro has some work to do to catch up in the breaking standings, having finished fifth in Shanghai. But perhaps more intriguing is the contest in the B-Girls event, with Japan claiming a sweep of the top three in the first stage last month. With each NOC only allowed to name a maximum of two b-boys and two b-girls, one of the Japanese trio of B-Girl Ayumi, B-Girl Ami, and B-Girl Riko will miss out.
Skateboarding is the only of the sports at OQS in which results from OQS are added to points earned at prior qualifying events to determine the quota spots. Notably, after missing OQS Shanghai through injury, Great Britain’s Sky Brown is expected to return in Budapest as she seeks to add to her 130,000 ranking points achieved through her Olympic World Skateboarding Ranking. Despite not being in Shanghai, Brown is still ranked 11th in the global standings heading into Budapest.
Reigning men’s sport climbing Olympic champion Alberto Ginés López will be in Budapest hoping to build on his second-place finish in the Boulder & Lead competition in China. With no one’s quota spot obtained yet, others in action will include the likes of Brooke Raboutou in women’s Boulder & Lead, former world record holder Veddriq Leonardo in men’s speed, and Polish sisters Natalia and Aleksandra Kalucka in women’s speed.