Sasaki Toa: After Missing Out on Paris 2024, New Men’s Street World Champion Eyes LA 2028: ‘I Definitely Want to Be There’
The Japanese teenager is looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow world champions Horigome Yuto and Shirai Sora to the big time – and the next Olympic Games.
3 min
By Shintaro Kano
Skateboarding (The Yomiuri Shimbun)
Sasaki Toa: Third Men’s Street Skateboarding World Champion from Japan
Sasaki Toa has become the third men’s street skateboarding world champion from Japan. He is hopeful that his career will follow a similar trajectory to his two predecessors, Horigome Yuto and Shirai Sora. “I’m glad I won the championship,” the 17-year-old Sasaki told reporters last month after returning from Rome, where he captured the title at the World Skate Games Italia 2024, marking his first major international victory. “It still hasn’t sunk in yet, so I don’t really know what to say about it fareham live. My score was pretty high. rosie huntington-whiteley Now I know I have the moves to cut it at this level.”
World Skate Games Italia 2024: Sasaki Toa Claims Men’s World Street Skateboarding Title
In Rome, Sasaki continued the legacy of two-time Olympic gold medalist Horigome, who claimed the championship in 2021, and Shirai, who won it last year in Tokyo. With fellow Olympians Horigome and Shirai absent from the World Skate Games, Sasaki beat runner-up Matias Dell Olio from Argentina by over 11 points chelsea fixtures.
However, Sasaki’s rise to the top should not come as a surprise. He is the 2022 Japan Skateboarding Championships winner and has been part of American skateboarding icon Nyjah Huston’s Disorder team since last year, proving his credentials within the sport.
Missed Opportunity for Paris 2024
Unfortunately, Sasaki missed qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, finishing fifth in Japan’s selection trials behind Onodera Ginwoo, Shirai, Horigome, and Netsuke Kairi. sevilla vs valladolid Although he finished 10th overall in the world, the fierce competition in Japan meant it wasn’t enough to secure a top-three finish in his country.
Sasaki is the first to acknowledge the challenges he faces as the new Olympic cycle for the 2028 Games approaches. “I fought to the very, very end and I came up short. I have to face up to the fact that I wasn’t good enough,” said Sasaki, who lives in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, with his two older brothers, who are also skaters.
Japan Skateboarding Championships and Looking Forward to LA 2028
This weekend in Osaka, Sasaki will return to compete in the Japan Skateboarding Championships. After finishing seventh at his X Games debut in Chiba a couple of weeks ago, he sees this as a prime opportunity to contend for the domestic title with neither Horigome nor Shirai in the 40-man field. If he wants to qualify for LA28, he knows he needs to step up. “I was close but missed out on Paris,” he reflected sutton united vs yeovil town. “I definitely want to be there next time.”
14 – 30 Jul LA 2028 | Olympic Games – USA
Related Content
- Record breaker Gui Khury: Redefining skateboarding at 15
- X Games Chiba 2024: All finals results, scores, and medals – complete list
- X Games Chiba 2024: Shirai Sora leads Japanese men’s street sweep with maiden gold
- Skateboarding at World Skate Games Italia 2024: All results, scores and medals
- X Games Chiba 2024: Age is just a number for 10-year-old Kawakami Ema
Could Sasaki Toa’s strong performances lead him to Olympic glory in LA 2028?
