Heartbreaking scenes as teen prodigy Chloe Covell left wanting in street skateboarding final
Updated . First published at
Skateboarding prodigy Chloe Covell was unable to create Australian Olympic history as the nation's youngest-ever medallist after bombing out in the women's street final on Monday morning (AEST).
Aged 14 years and 170 days, Covell was poised to become Australia's youngest Olympic medallist — eclipsing the mark set by swimmer Sandra Morgan at the 1956 Games in Melbourne — but the changing of the guard was not to be as she came unstuck in the final.
Following her performance, Covell was consoled by her dad, former NRL star Luke Covell, as she broke down in tears.
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Former footy star Luke Covell consoles his daughter, Australian skateboarder Chloe Covel, at the end of the women's skateboard street final at Paris 2024. Julian Finney via Getty Images
But despite the outcome, Covell took pride in her efforts at her first Olympic Games.
"I'm proud that I made it into the final. I tried my best and that's all I could do," she told Nine afterwards.
Covell qualified fourth for the final with a total score of 246.73 but struggled to recapture her form in the heats as too many falls left her out of medal contention.
An early dive in her first run of the final set up a shaky start but Covell recovered to blitz through the rest of her performance for a score of 70.33.
Unfortunately, her second run did not see an improvement as another fall proved costly.
"She didn't play it safe and that's why we love Chloe," commentator Mitch Tomlinson said on Nine.
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Then, having failed to land her first trick with her allotted three attempts, Covell could not stick her second, a kickflip front feeble on the rail, to register a score in the trick section.
Clovell finished in eighth place with Japan's Coco Yoshizawa winning gold and Liz Akama silver. Brazil's Rayssa Leal rounded out the medals with bronze.
"Chloe Covell, we and the whole nation are so proud of you. Getting here, doing what you do and giving it your best shot," Tomlinson said.
Covell led off a strong first heat in the prelims on Sunday night, overcoming an error on her opening run to finish second behind China's Cui Chenxi.
At the conclusion of her first run, Covell raised her hands to her head in disappointment after coming unstuck on a ledge late in her routine.
A clean getaway would have got her to the top of the bank and set her up for one final trick on the big section of the park before her time elapsed.
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Getty Images/ Graphic: Polly Hanning
However, the Tweed Heads local made a stunning recovery with a clean run on her second attempt to boost her score.
In the trick section of the competition, Covell pulled off an impressive backside smith grind down the hubba for a score of 82.26 before failing to land her second and third attempts. She later landed her fourth attempt for a top score of 85.58.
Fellow Aussies Liv Lovelace and Haylie Powell contested the preliminary round finishing 20th and 21st respectively.
