Tokyo Olympics hopeful praises Gympie’s new skate park

“Everyone was getting a little nervous thinking it was going to rain out, but the weather held out and we’re just stoked.”

Skate Australia National Park Championship – Keegan Palmer

SKATEBOARDING: World number four skateboarder Keegan Palmer had nothing but praise for Gympie’s newly-unveiled facilities after shredding his way to a Skate Australia National Park Championship win over the weekend.

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– PHOTOS: Gympie hosts Olympic skating qualifiers

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Gympie played host to the Tokyo Olympics qualifying event on Sunday following the YMCA Australian Skateboarding League’s Queensland National Street Skate Qualifier the day before.

Inclement weather throughout Sunday morning delayed the start of the proceedings, but the action was well underway by about 2pm and continued through to presentations four hours later.

Palmer beat out strong competition from Kieran Woolley (second) and Marley Rae (third) to take out the Open Male category, good enough for 3330 World Skate Ranking Points towards qualification for the Olympics starting in July.

The 16-year-old from Currumbin was impressed with the

PHOTOS: Gympie hosts Olympic skating qualifiers

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facilities upon his first visit to Gympie.

“The bowl was really fun, it took a little bit to get used to, and it took a really long time to get used to the heat. It was hot out here man,” he said.

“It dried up really nice, everyone was getting a little nervous thinking it was going to rain out, but the weather held out and we’re just stoked.

“It’s a really good bowl the kids can use and get better with. (Gympie’s) definitely up there in my books, for sure.

“I’m stoked to come away with the win.”

Since relocating to the “mainstream of skateboarding” in San Diego, USA about a year ago, Palmer has sharpened his focus on securing an Olympic berth later in the year.

He called Sunday’s win a “good push” to kick off 2020.

“There was a lot of talent out there. Kieran Woolley is an amazing skateboarder, Marley Rae too. There’s good competition out here,” he said.

“I’m looking pretty good for the Olympics now, I’ve got a couple of competitions coming up to hold steady, but right now I’m fourth in the world and it’s a really good push for me to start the year.”

Poppy Starr Olsen claimed top spot in the Open Female category, while Charlotte Heath and Amar Hadid skated well enough to finish on the podium and further their own Olympic dreams.

Up to 50 skaters competed in Saturday’s Queensland National Street Skate Qualifier, with event organiser and contest director Alice Hogan saying it was an easy decision to make Gympie “world class facility” the host.

Gympie’s event was the only Olympic qualifier of its kind held on Australian soil.

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