World Skate Games Italia 2024: Resilient Oda Yumeka flashes best to qualify first for women's street skateboarding final
Reigning world champ Oda put five points on the competition and led Rayssa Leal and seven other Japanese skaters to the world championship final in Rome.
Skateboarding
Oda Yumeka shook off rain delays and a heavy fall to qualify first for the women's street skateboarding final at World Skate Games Italia in Rome on Saturday (14 September).
Competing in the first heat of the postponed women's semi-final, the reigning world champion took a significant slam at the start of the best trick section and as she hobbled off the course, it was unsure she might continue.
But when her turn came for her second attempt, the 17-year-old re-emerged with a smile earning back-to-back best trick scores of 85.88 and 84.84 to finish in first with a 242.53 total.
With 10 Japanese making up the field of 16 the odds were such that they might dominate the semis - and that they did.
Seven skaters, including Oda, punched their ticket to the eight-skater final with Olympic medallists Nishiya Momiji, Nakayama Funa, Yoshizawa Coco and Liz Akama all in the cut.
Rayssa Leal of Brazil was the only non-Japanese skater to finish in the top eight, qualifying in second (237.32).
Leal's inclusion in the final will mean that every Olympic medallist since skateboarding made its debut at Tokyo 2020, in 2021 will be the running for the world title to be decided this afternoon.
Before then, the men's semi-final, also postponed from yesterday, will take place.
World Skate Games Italia 2024: Women's street semi-final results
The top eight from a field of 16 advanced to the final.
Total score includes best run score and best two trick scores.
- Oda Yumeka (JPN) - 242.53
- Rayssa Leal (BRA) - 237.32
- Liz Akama (JPN) - 234.86
- Nakayama Funa (JPN) - 234.50
- Nishiya Momiji (JPN) - 231.30
- Yoshizawa Coco (JPN) - 230.90
- Ito Miyu (JPN) - 228.56
- Uemura Aoi (JPN) - 220.79
- Onishi Nanami (JPN) - 217.28
- Lucie Schoonheere (FRA) - 210.84
- Daniela Terol (ESP) - 205.76
- Abbie Burns (ESP) - 181.21
- Matsumoto Ibuki (JPN) - 150.28
- Pamela Rosa (BRA) - 140.70
- Liv Broder (SUI) - 109.08
- Sugimoto Niko (JPN) - 34.91
How to watch Street Skateboarding at World Skate Games Italia 2024
Select action from the World Skate Games Italia 2024 - including street skateboarding - will be available to stream live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices.
- Skateboarding Street semi-finals and finals - 13-14 September
- Skateboard Park semi-finals and finals 21-22 September
The are restrictions in place for the following territories: Japan, People's Republic of China, Brazil, Hong Kong, China, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine and United Kingdom.