Hangzhou, China, September 28, 2023: The lingering impact of serious injury hindered Margielyn Didal’s efforts to defend her Asian Games women’s street gold medal, but the trailblazing Philippines skater remains hopeful a return to form will earn her a spot at next year’s Olympic Games.
The 24-year-old gold medallist at Palembang in 2018 was overshadowed by Cui Chenxi as the Chinese skater led a fresh-faced trio of teenagers - completed by home skater Zeng Wenhui and Japan’s Miyu Ito – on to the podium on Wednesday as Didal was left to consider what might have been.
Lacking her trademark confidence and swagger, the Cebu skater’s struggles were apparent throughout the final at the Qiantang Roller Sports Centre as an injury issue hampered her routine.
"My left ankle is injured,” Didal said after her eighth place finish. “I dislocated and fractured my fibula, and I'm still recovering.
“I had surgery exactly 11 months ago tomorrow. It's hard because it's my back foot, and without it I don't have the power to pop. I still have pain, but I tried to represent my country."
Under the circumstances, qualification for the final was a success in itself and now Didal is targeting further progress over the coming months.
“Recovery,” she said when asked about her immediate plans. “And then I'll try to go to the world championship in Japan in December to try to get a slot for the next Olympics.”
Despite her current struggles, Didal has great appreciation of the transformative nature of gold medal-winning success although she is hoping for more, especially in her home city.
“Winning the Asian Games changed a lot, not just my life but also for my whole family and for the skate scene,” she said.
“Before, people thought that skateboarding was nothing, but now they see that it's in the Olympics, the Asian Games and the SEA Games.
"My hometown doesn't have a skate park, so I still have to train in other countries. Hopefully that will change.
“A skate park was built in Cebu for us to prepare for the 2020 Olympics, just for the year, but when the contract finished they had to shut it down. We have no public skate park in the Philippines.
“There's nowhere to skate, so we have to make our own DIY obstacles.”
With protective equipment a requirement for all competitors under the age of 18, Didal stood out as her teenage opposition supplanted her on the Asian Games podium.
And while she is now one of the senior figures within region’s skating scene, it’s not a role she’s entirely ready to embrace.
“Skateboarding is not about age,” she said. “I don't feel old because I'm also a bit childish, I just want to mess around. But I feel kind of left out because everyone is wearing helmets and knee pads!”