Asia and Europe. China and Hungary. Meeting in Mumbai on Thursday 12 October, ahead of the 141st IOC Session, the IOC Executive Board announced that it had chosen Shanghai and Budapest as the host cities for the first Olympic Qualifier Series. Presented as “a key project under the Olympic Agenda 2020+5“, they will serve as qualifying events for the Paris 2024 Games in skateboarding, BMX freestyle, breaking and climbing. For four days, the best athletes in each of these four disciplines will be brought together in the same urban park, where sporting events and culture will come together. Shanghai will launch the series, from 16 to 19 May 2024, on the banks of the Huangpu River. Budapest will follow the following month, on the Ludovika campus (20 to 23 June). The IOC explains in a press release: “This will be the very last qualification phase for BMX freestyle, breaking, skateboarding and climbing. At least half of the qualification places for Paris 2024 in these sports will be awarded via the Olympic Qualifier Series, which will bring together 464 competitors.” The IOC Executive Board’s choice comes as no surprise. Budapest, in particular, has established itself as one of the leading centres for urban sports in Europe. In 2019, the Hungarian capital will host the first edition – the only one to date – of the World Urban Games, a multi-sport competition devised by GAISF.
