Electrifying inaugural Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai leaves athletes and fans excited for the second and final event in Budapest
20 May 2024 – The first-ever Olympic Qualifier Series event in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, was a big hit amongst athletes and fans, and there is eager anticipation for the second stop in Budapest, Hungary, next month – the final chance to qualify for Paris 2024.
Four days of world-class competition took place in an urban park in Shanghai across four sports – skateboarding, BMX freestyle, sport climbing and breaking – with 460 athletes chasing precious qualifying points for the Olympic Games. The vibrant festival-style event mixed sport, art, fashion and culture for 45,000 spectators, who were able to try the sports in an immersive experience.
Now, the attention is on Budapest which will host the second and final Olympic Qualifier Series event from June 20-23.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Balázs Fürjes is delighted the Hungarian capital will be staging such an innovative event bringing together athletes and fans.
“I consider the Olympic Qualifier festival an Olympic startup, a new venture, a pioneering venture to bring together culture, the fashion, the concert, the festival as the highest level professional portal for street sports. I think it is the future to participate as spectators, not just passive onlookers. Not just flock to the spectator area and watch, but to try all the sports – young and old beginners. All day long there is something to do, you can do things every day in Hungary, to cheer, to party, and say you attended the Olympic festival.”
IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell spoke with athletes in Shanghai about their experience of this groundbreaking initiative inspired by the Olympic Agenda 2020+5, and it’s clear bringing the four sports together in a festival-style event has been a success.
“I think for them (athletes) first of all qualification towards Paris is so important, to give them that Olympic stage, for them to showcase their abilities on the world’s greatest sporting stage but equally the experience that they have here at an Olympic Qualifier Series in a fully branded Olympic environment as that stepping stone towards Paris is a great experience for them. Equally what they’ve told us is that they feel like part of something bigger already, mixing with the other sports that are here, the festival activities around us, they can feel that it’s part of something even bigger than their own sport.”
“The whole event that was put on in Shanghai was incredible,” said American sport climber Brooke Raboutou, who won the Women’s Boulder & Lead event. “All the volunteers worked really hard, that I appreciate. A really cool event to be part of, especially with the other sports, there was just really great energy and very positive.”
Athletes who finished high in the Shanghai standings know there is still work to do in Budapest, and are already preparing for that last push for qualification to Paris 2024.
“Paris is very close,” says Brazilian Rayssa Leal, who won the Women’s Street Skateboarding in Shanghai, “But I think it’s step by step, this one was China, the next one is Budapest, I want to practise my tricks again, and prepare myself and my mindset.”
“This is just one of two,” added the Men’s Breaking winner B-Boy Lee of the Netherlands. “It’s a good feeling for me to be first place but the race still continues – back to the lab!”
It’s a mindset endorsed by legendary American skateboarder Tony Hawk, who says: “All of these qualifying events are important on their own but really the directive there is that you’re going to make it to Paris. If you win it, cool! But it’s just one stage.”
Detailed results and rankings from the Olympic Qualifier Series event are available on Olympics.com as well as replays of the action from Shanghai.
Olympic Qualifier Series 2024 Shanghai | Watch the replays
Olympic Information Service photos and text from the Olympic Qualifier Series 2024 here:
