Sky Brown positive despite quest for dual sports participation at Paris 2024 ending with ISA World Surfing Games elimination: "Bring on LA"
British teenager exits in repechage rounds, and will now focus solely on skateboard for the coming Olympics.
Sky Brown saw her aim of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics in two different sports end on Friday (1 March), but the British teenager was still in a positive mood.
Brown was eliminated from the repechage rounds at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games, finishing third in her heat with only the top two qualifying.
The event is streamed live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app.
Brown fought to the end, dropping into her last wave with 10 seconds on the clock. It was not enough, however, as she was still 6.91 points below the cut off line.
"It was definitely tough out there, but I fought. I had nothing to lose," she told Olympics.com. "It's definitely super cool to make it this far with the best people in the world. It was just an amazing experience, just being out there with the best surfers in the world and competing against them. It's the biggest event I've ever done and I'm really proud of myself."
While Brown could not secure an Olympic quota for Paris 2024 in Puerto Rico, she is already looking ahead to repeating her quest in four years' time at LA 2028.
"I learned so much just competing here and I just had the best experience ever. I learned so much and I am growing a lot, so hopefully I can bring it to LA. I'm going to work hard for LA," Brown said.
"Every moment I enjoyed. I enjoyed cheering all my friends, competing out there and it's crazy how much this has taught me and I'm going to hold it with me forever."
Until that time arrives, Brown is looking forward to cheering on her surfing friends in Tahiti while she is competing 10,000 miles away in skateboarding at the Paris. Brown is currently sits third in the Worldskate park ranking and is looking comfortable to secure an Olympic quota in the sport.
"I'm definitely going to be cheering on all my friends. I can't wait to watch it," she said. "I definitely got skating so I'm going to go and work hard on that."
Brown became the youngest ever Olympian and Olympic medallist from Great Britain when she won bronze in the women’s park event at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, and is now aspiring to become the first athlete to qualify in both skateboarding and surfing at an Olympic Games.
There are eight individual quotas up for grabs in the women's competition at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games, which serves as the final qualifier for Paris 2024
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.