Zeng Wenhui out to lead China’s skateboarders to podium finish at 2024 Paris Olympics
- Teenage skateboarder Zeng Wenhui returns to competition at the World Skate Street Skateboarding Championships in Rome with an eye on Paris 2024
- At the Tokyo Games, the 17-year-old finished sixth overall, the best result ever for Chinese skateboarding in major competitions
Ahead of the first skateboarding qualification event for the Paris 2024 Olympics, China’s national team is eyeing a podium finish in Paris.
Zeng Wenhui, who finished sixth in women’s street at Tokyo 2020, is representing China in the World Skate Street Skateboarding Championships, which are taking place in Italy and conclude on Sunday.
“My goal is to make it to the finals in Rome, since I haven’t participated in any international competitions for a long time,” Zeng said in the lead up to her qualification campaign.
With little more than two years to go, the journey to Paris 2024 starts in Rome for Olympians and aspiring Olympians in street skateboarding, where they will have their first opportunity to begin their qualifying campaign.
With competition taking place from 28 June to 3 July, athletes will compete for World Championship titles, whilst looking ahead to securing their spot at the Olympic Games, by collecting qualifying points.
This includes Tokyo bronze medallist Funa Nakayama, silver medallist Brazilian Kelvin Hoefler, Momiji Nishiya, who won the first gold medal in the women’s street competition and Yuto Horigome the first to win gold in the men’s division.
While Zeng has been unable to compete on the world stage, she has kept an eye on her fellow skaters using social media, but admits it’s only part of the overall picture.