Cherry on the Cake: Street World Championships silver makes 13-year-old Covell’s birthday special

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Chloe Covell, from Australia’s Gold Coast, received the best early birthday present going when she claimed a silver medal in the women’s Street 2022 World Championships final at Aljada Skate Park in Sharjah on Sunday.

The skateboarding star, who celebrates her 13th birthday on Wednesday, is the youngest participant at the World Championships, which features back-to-back competitions.

Co-organized by World Skate and UAE-based master developer Arada, both the Street 2022 and Park 2022 World Championships act as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

While the Street 2022 World Championships may have ended, the Park 2022 World Championships take place until Sunday, February 12 at Aljada Skate Park in Sharjah.

Q: What do you think of Aljada Skate Park in Sharjah? Did you know fellow Australian Keegan Palmer, who won the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games gold medal in the inaugural Park skateboard competition, helped design it?

A: It’s really good, I really like it. It’s one of my favorite skate parks – it’s got everything. The big rail is a perfect size, it’s not too tall, not too long. Everything is at a good height. Keegan did a great job! Oh, one other thing I really like is the Ozzy burgers (food trucks) – they’re amazing!

Q: Well done on the silver medal in Sharjah! As you know, the Street 2022 World Championships are qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. How much would it mean to you to compete at the Olympics?

A: If I compete in the Olympics, it will mean a lot to me because it’s been my dream since I started skating. It’s the biggest you can ever go with your sport and even just representing your country is amazing. I definitely have my eye on the Olympics. I was stoked to do well in Sharjah and I’m now hoping to do well in the next Olympic qualifiers in Rome. If I do well in those I’ll definitely have a lot of confidence to go into the Olympics, if I do make it.

Q: It’s a very young field in skating. How intense do you feel the competition is right now?

A: It’s not too bad. It was a little scary at the beginning but as younger girls have started getting involved I’ve started to feel more comfortable. I’ve made a lot more friends too.