China secures 12 Paris Games spots at Olympic Qualifier Series

BUDAPEST, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Twelve Chinese athletes secured Olympic spots in BMX freestyle, breaking, sport climbing, and skateboarding for the upcoming Paris 2024 at the conclusion of the Olympic Qualification Series (OQS) final round on Sunday.

The OQS, hosted in Shanghai and Budapest, represents a significant milestone in athletes' journeys towards Paris 2024, serving as the ultimate qualification stage for these four sports. Over 150 athletes secured Olympic quota places through this series.

In sport climbing, China's Pan Yufei and Luo Zhilu secured Olympic quotas in men's and women's Boulder &Lead, respectively. Additionally, Wu Peng and Zhou Yafei each clinched gold and silver medals in the men's and women's speed climbing events, securing their spots for Paris 2024.

In women's skateboarding, Cui Chenxi, Zeng Wenhui, and Zhu Yuanling earned spots in the women's street event. 12-year-old Zheng Haohao narrowly secured a spot in the women's park event.

In breaking, Qi Xiangyu and Zeng Yingying obtained spots in the men's and women's events, respectively, while Sun Jiaqi and Deng Yawen qualified for the women's freestyle BMX.

With these additions to previously secured spots, China now holds seven sport climbing spots, four skateboarding spots, three breaking spots, and two freestyle BMX spots for the Paris Olympics.

However, several top athletes faced disappointment in the OQS. Tokyo Olympic champion Momiji Nishiya of Japan unexpectedly missed qualifying for Paris after competing in Budapest. Tokyo Olympic men's champion Logan Martin of Australia and women's champion Charlotte Worthington of Britain did not secure direct spots in the BMX freestyle event. However, they still have opportunities as the remaining freestyle BMX spots are not allocated directly to individual athletes but will be determined by their National Olympic Committees.