MANILA, Philippines – For the first time in six decades, the Philippines sent a female gymnast – three in exact – to the Olympics.
But their campaigns proved short-lived as Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar all exited the Paris Games early following the conclusion of the women’s artistic gymnastics all-around qualification at the Bercy Arena on Sunday, July 28 (Monday, July 29, Manila time).
Jung-Ruivivar and Malabuyo both totaled 51.099 points in the all-around, while Finnegan tallied 50.498 as they missed the cutoff for the event finals.
Only the top 24 in the all-around and top eight in each apparatus – with a maximum of two gymnasts per country – advanced to the medal round.
Battling back from an anaphylactic shock caused by her allergies just days before the competition, Jung-Ruivivar still showed out.
Jung-Ruivivar, the youngest member of Team Philippines at 18 years old, posted 13.600 in vault, 13.200 in uneven bars, 12.433 in floor exercise, and 11.866 in balance beam.
Malabuyo netted 13.266 points in vault, 13.100 in floor exercise, 12.500 in uneven bars, and 12.233 in balance beam, while Finnegan averaged 13.387 in vault and scored 12.733 in floor exercise, 12.566 in uneven bars, and 11.466 in balance beam.
Despite their elimination, the gymnastics trio made history for the Philippines.
The country waited 60 years for a female gymnast to see action in the Olympics since Maria-Luisa Floro and Evelyn Magluyan represented the Philippines in the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Finnegan earned her Olympic berth through the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships last year, while Jung-Ruivivar and Malabuyo caught the last bus to Paris through the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series and Asian Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships this year.
With the three getting the boot, the task of winning the Philippines’ first Olympic gymnastics medal falls on the shoulders of Carlos Yulo, who advanced to the men’s all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals.
Yulo vies for a podium finish in the all-around on Wednesday, July 31, and in floor exercise and vault on August 3 and 4, respectively. – Rappler.com