Filipino gymnasts Jung-Ruivivar, Malabuyo, Finnegan end 2024 Paris Olympics campaign
Three Filipino female gymnasts at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the first time the Philippines had such delegates in the games in 60 years, ended their campaign early following the all-around qualification results of the women's artistic gymnastics.
"Thank you, Alleah, Emma, and Levi, for giving it your all and representing the Philippines with grace and determination. Your efforts inspire us all!" the Philippine Olympic Committee wrote on Instagram.
Levi Jung-Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo finished 40th and 41st places, respectively, while Aleah Finnegan placed 47th.
Those in the Top 24 in the all-around and the Top 8 in each apparatus made it to the event finals. Only two gymnasts may represent their country.
Jung-Ruivivar and Malabuyo scored 51.099 points in the qualifiers, while Finnegan had 50.498, making them miss the medal round.
Jung-Ruivivar scored 13.600 in vault, 13.200 in uneven bars, 12.433 in floor exercise, and 11.866 in balance beam.
Malabuyo tallied 13.266 points in vault, 13.100 in floor exercise, 12.500 in uneven bars, and 12.233 in balance beam.
Finnegan got 13.387 in vault and scored 12.733 in floor exercise, 12.566 in uneven bars, and 11.466 in balance beam.
Simon Biles of the United States topped the all-around with 59.566 points, scoring 15.300 in vault, 14.433 in uneven bars, 14.600 in floor exercise, and 14.733 in balance beam.
Jung-Ruivivar, the youngest member of Team Philippines at 18, secured her spot in the Olympics after her silver win in the women’s uneven bars at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Qatar last April.
Malabuyo, meanwhile, qualified for the games after finishing third at the Asian Gymnastics Championships in Uzbekistan in May. The 21-year-old athlete was a member of the U.S. national team from 2016 to 2019 and in 2021, serving as an alternate in the Tokyo Olympics. In 2023, she bagged a silver medal at the Asian Championships floor exercise.
Finnegan, for her part, planned to retire after the 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships but was invited to compete for the Philippines in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games. The 21-year-old got a haul of two gold and two silver medals.
The last time the Philippines had female gymnasts participating in the Olympics was in 1964, with Maria-Luisa Floro and Evelyn Magluyan as its representatives.
The 2024 Paris Olympics started on July 26 and will run until Aug. 11. If you want to witness our local athletes as they strive for the gold, you can watch the games through Cignal TV. The platforms include Cignal TV’s free-to-air and pay-per-view television, while digital broadcasts can be watched on OneSports, One News, and News5.
A dedicated website for the event has also been launched. Click this link to see the complete schedule.