Champion Keegan Palmer stepped off the board for a month in his lead up to Paris
Olympic champion Keegan Palmer has faced a rocky lead up to Paris, having to take a month ‘off the board’ to recover from a series of injuries as he prepares to defend his Olympic title.
Australia’s world No.1 and defending Olympic champion Keegan Palmer was “so stressed” before Olympic qualifying competitions – the last one which he emphatically dominated in Budapest on Sunday – that he was worried about making it to Paris.
Palmer took a month “off the board” with a secret mission to Queensland to get treatment from the Queensland Academy of Sport medical team after a succession of serious injuries, including re-injuring a torn meniscus in his right knee in March.
Only now, after securing his Olympic Games position in skateboarding, has Palmer spoken about the worries that he might not have been physically ready in time to compete.
“I have no words, no words, I am just speechless,” he said.
“I had lots of injuries this year. The last two contests I have been injured and I am just happy (to be here). I can still do it, it has been very stressful.’’
On Sunday, Palmer had to watch three of his rivals land high-scoring runs in the 90s in the final but he said: “Watching that was a scary feeling but I have learned to control those feelings now.”
After witnessing a pressure run from his friend and training partner Tom Schaar, who needed to finish first or second in the competition to earn a position in the US Olympic team, Palmer dropped in with an opening combination of alley-top frontside air into an alley-top frontside kickflip lien grab, which ended up as the event’s highest score of 94.94.
Palmer, 21, said he had broken his left knee this year and then in a second separate incident torn his right knee. It was the right knee that caused the problems most recently.
“I went to the Gold Coast and spent a month with the QAS,’’ he said.
“I just stayed really strong and focused and then had another month with training and skating, so it has just paid off, as you can tell.
“I have to thank those guys for all the work they have done. It is massive to have such great support from Australia.”
Keegan’s fellow Australians Keefer Wilson and Kieran Woolley, who was sixth in the final, also made the cut and will be at the Paris Olympics.
In total, nine Australian skaters have qualified for the Paris Games after the final qualifying in Budapest. Several will head to the Games as hot medal contenders.
Apart from Palmer, another Queenslander, 14-year-old switch rider Arisa Trew, has developed a repertoire of tricks.
They include a backside 540 body varial that has elevated her to No.1 in the world.
Trew won both qualifying events and her dominance in Budapest has her stamped as a gold medal contender.
“I wasn’t expecting to win this one,’’ she said in reference to just wanting to ensure she made the finals and cemented an Olympic spot.
“I was so amazed to win. It’s really exciting and I am going to keep pushing myself for the Olympics.’’
Trew will be joined by 15-year-old Sydneysider Ruby Trew, who is not related.
She also comfortably made the world’s top 22 for the Paris team.
Arisa Trew’s close friend Chloe Covell also showed she would be pressing for a medal.
She won the preliminaries and semi-finals in street skateboarding but battled a heel injury in warm-up from several days ago and fell in the final.
Covell was in tears with the pain but brightened up to collect her Road to Paris medallion.
“It feels super amazing to represent my country on such a big stage,’’ Covell said.
“It is a big relief. From doing all qualifiers it has been a good ride. There have been ups and downs.’’
Covell said she was hoping to rest for a week or two to allow the injury to heal and then planned “to work very hard until I fly out for Paris”.
The other Australian skaters to qualify for the Olympics were street skaters Liv Lovelace, Hayley Powell and Shane O’Neill.
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