China's B-Boy Qi thrills local fans as skateboarder Eaton makes double podium in OQS Shanghai

Qi Xiangyu of China in action against Lee-Lou Diouf Demierre of the Netherlands during the B-boys battle for first place of breaking event at the Olympic Qualifier Series in east China's Shanghai, May 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

The Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Shanghai showcased talent across various sports, with China's Qi Xiangyu, also known as B-Boy Lithe-ing, thrilling the home crowd, and American skateboarder Jagger Eaton captivating fans with his skill and consistency.

SHANGHAI, May 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Qi Xiangyu (B-Boy Lithe-ing) delighted the home crowd by clinching the silver medal in breaking B-Boy during the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) closing day.

Meanwhile, American Jagger Eaton emerged as a standout, securing victory in men's street skateboarding and adding a bronze in men's park.

18-year-old Qi bested B-Boy representatives from Chinese Taipei and South Korea in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds respectively, before narrowly succumbing to B-Boy Lee from the Netherlands in a closely contested final, 2-1. Japan's B-Boy Hiro10 claimed bronze by defeating South Korea's Hongten in the bronze medal match.

The final dance battles, comprising three rounds, ignited the atmosphere with the presence of International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach.

Japan's B-Girls delivered a commanding performance, sweeping the top three positions. B-Girl Ami secured gold by defeating B-Girl Ayumi, while B-Girl Riko took home bronze.

Jagger Eaton of the United States in action during the men's street final of skateboarding at the Olympic Qualifier Series. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)

Earlier in the day, Eaton, who began competing in X Games at age 11, captivated spectators by participating in both men's street and park events. In the morning's street competition, the 14-year-old Ginwoo Onodera of Japan initially led, but Eaton's superior trick execution propelled him to gold by a margin of less than one point. Eaton's compatriot Chris Joslin claimed bronze.

With just a two-hour break, Eaton showcased his prowess in the park event, securing bronze behind Tate Carew of the United States, who clinched gold by scoring 93.33 points, and Australia's Keegan Palmer, who took silver with 92.30 points.

Commenting on his remarkable consistency across both events, Eaton expressed excitement for the future, stating, "I just love what I do, and I'm very excited for the future. It's such a weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that I can handle this level of contest five days in a row. I walked in here not knowing if I could."

After the Shanghai stop, Eaton now sits second in both OQS' overall street and park standings. The top two qualified skateboarders from each delegation could potentially compete in the Paris Olympic Games.

In women's skateboarding events, Arisa Trew of Australia took the park title, followed by Japan's Kokona Hiraki and Sakura Yosozumi in second and third respectively.

For the women's street, Brazilian Rayssa Leal won the gold with a total point of 274.89, edging Japan's Liz Akama into second place by merely 0.54 points. Fellow Japanese skateboarder Coco Yoshizawa was third. China's Cui Chenxi and Zeng Wenhui finished fifth and seventh place respectively.

Brooke Raboutou of the United States in action during the lead climbing of the women's boulder & lead final of sport climbing at the Olympic Qualifier Series. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

In sport climbing, Lee Do-hyun of South Korea pulled off an upset by clinching first place in the men's boulder & lead event, with defending Olympic champion Alberto Gines of Spain settling for second, and the Czech Republic's Adam Ondra finishing third.

American Brooke Raboutou dominated the women's boulder & lead competition thanks to her impressive performance in the boulder section. She scored 83.8 points, while no other climbers scored higher than 60.

South Korea's Seo Chae-hyun, who led the lead competition, secured the silver, and Erin McNeice of Britain finished third. Luo Zhilu of China took seventh place.

The OQS action will now move to Budapest, with the second and final stop scheduled from June 20 to 23.