Olympics: Skateboarder Chloe Covell books Olympic berth after Budapest qualifying

One of Australia’s top skating medal prospects for Paris, 14 year-old Chloe Covell narrowly avoided catastrophe in Budapest to book her place.

Australia's Chloe Covell competes during the Olympic Qualifier in Budapest. Picture: Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

This was the moment Australia’s top street skater Chloe Covell learned her Olympic dreams had indeed come true.

On the urban park of Budapest’s Ludovika Campus, the final qualifying event for the Paris Olympics, the Aussie cemented her spots for Paris in the preliminary stages on Friday night. But for Australia’s top Olympic medal contender, the evening almost ended in disaster.

During warm-up the Tweed Heads superstar and a Chinese skater came within centimetres of colliding, and Covell’s evasive action sent her sprawling on the concrete. The 14 year old looked down at her leg to see a large nasty bruise spreading down her thigh almost immediately, but she got back on the board for the competition and tried to work through the pain.

“A couple of girls went at the same time as me, but I am okay,’’ she said.

In her first run Covell scored the top marks and so was able to let loose for the second run knowing her position into the final round was secure, and she nailed it, scoring a superb 88.47 points to be 12 points ahead of her next rival, Japan’s Liz Akama.

She said: “That second run I was just having fun, I jagged it so I am pretty happy, I guess the hardest run today will be the easier run in the finals, I try to progress it each round.” Covell had been a bit rocky at the first Olympic Qualifying round in Shanghai but she showed no sign of nerves in Europe.

While Covell’s Olympic berth was almost a formality – she won the X games last year – her compatriot Liv Lovelace has managed to keep herself in contention for the team with a top 10 effort in the preliminaries. Making it to Paris depends on another good result over the rest of the weekend. The Collaroy skater just missed the Tokyo Olympics after suffering two big injuries that sidelined her for a total of 10 months: a broken leg in two places and then an ankle ligament tear.

Covell narrowly avoided disaster and a collision with a Chinese skater. Picture: Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP

Lovelace, 20, said after putting her hands to her head knowing her near faultless run would please the judges: “I am pretty relieved, I don’t know what to say, I want to say that was f’ing awesome, I held on for dear life.’’

During her two runs she reminded herself after every trick to “breathe breathe breathe, and focus”

She added: “I feel pretty relieved, pretty crazy, I am going to the semis, it’s weird, I am pretty gassed.”

This Olympic Qualifying series in Budapest is the final chance for competitors in skateboarding, breaking, climbing and BMX to cement Olympic spots.

Australia’s Olympic champion Logan Martin was eliminated from the BMX finals after two crashes at the same point in his routine: a 270 degree trick that he usually pulls off with ease. He will have to rely on cycling selectors to judge that he is the best Australian to fill the one Oceania slot at the Games.

The 30 year old Queenslander said he now wouldn’t make the automatic top six Olympic qualifying spots, but added “for me it’s a good thing other Aussies are not in the top six either, as it opens up a country spot so I will get to the Games that way.”

He said he was more nervous than normal because he changed his run in the warm-up but said he was not concerned at the result so close to the Olympic Games.

“I am not concerned going into Paris, I will go home and have three and a half weeks (of training). “I tried the best I could today, it is the way it goes sometimes, I will try and do my best in Paris as well. I know I am fit, my skill level is there.”

Covell will now head to Paris as a medal chance. Picture: Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP

Martin’s Australian rival Alec Danulutti, came within two seconds of making Australian selections difficult, crashing on the last trick of his first run. With a superb second run, which ranked in the top four, Danulutti’s accumulated marks meant he finished 16th, with only the top 12 making it through to the finals where he may have pushed for a top six finish.

Over the weekend Australia’s male skaters will be in action in the park, with Kieran Woolley, Keegan Palmer and Keefer Wilson all making it through the preliminary rounds.

Originally published as Olympics: Skateboarder Chloe Covell books Olympic berth after Budapest qualifying