There were two options for Horigome Yuto.
Beat the man’s way skateboarding final in Olympic Qualifying Series (OQS) Budapest to secure an NOC* quota and with it the right to defend his Olympic title at Paris 2024or to bow out of the fight and see another take his place.
Under the force of pressure the Japanese Olympic gold medalist made the first.
It got off to a strong start. After the run was closed, the Japanese superstar – with his 90.26 in the opener – was second in line.
Then came the section with the best trick. And just as he did on the tarmac in Tokyo three years ago, Horigome burst into life.
Sinking his first trick, the 25-year-old skater screamed from his chest as he landed, showing more emotion in the moment than he’d ever dared to let slip.
It was a signal of intent. And when the score of 95.65 appeared on the screen, it confirmed what many had already realized – Horigome was here to compete.
The chief then traded hands with a 14-year-old Japanese young gun Onodera Ginwoo and world champion Shirai Sora, like Horigome, rises to the rising occasion. But by the third trick attempt there was no doubt. Successfully launching himself into a nollie 270 buntslide down the long rail, Horigome kicked his board into the park exclaiming once again.
The applause fell flat. Fellow street skaters included Nyjah Houston, shared their approval. But nothing could compare to the score of 97.10 that graced the screen. The mark β the highest trick score in Olympic road skateboarding qualifying history β catapulted Horigome to the top of the class, giving him a combined score of 283.01.
The awe of the moment seemed to linger even after it had passed. No skater in the final was able to muster an answer with all eight saving on their fourth attempt.
When Onodera Ginwoo, who was sitting second, was unable to overcome Horigome with his last trick, what was left for Horigome was essentially a victory lap. He bailed again. It didn’t matter. He had done what he set out to do. He won the competition and placed among the top three Japanese in the Olympic Skate World Ranking.
He was joined on top of the podium by compatriots Onodera and Shirai, who with their result in Budapest also secured an NOC quota for Paris.
Consequently, Netsuke Kairi – who finished seventh – no.
Also missing the chance to change their fortunes in Paris was the American skater Braden Hoban.
The Californian needed a podium finish in the final to shake up the top three for the USA and despite a monster effort in the best bay section, he couldn’t recover from his two low scores.
*As National Olympic Committees have sole authority to represent their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes’ participation in the Paris Games depends on the NOC’s selection to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Click here to see the official qualifying system for each sport.