FLEETING yet historic.
This was the experience gained by Filipino-American gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo and Levi Ruivivar, whose Olympic debut for the country came and went last Sunday night in the women’s artistic gymnastics all-around qualifiers at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.
Ruivivar, the Olympic contingent’s youngest standard-bearer at 17, emerged as the top overall finisher among them, placing 40th with a total of 51.099 points, statistically tied with Malabuyo, who was 41st with the same score.
Finnegan, a double gold medalist in the 32nd Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in 2021, wound up in 47th place (50.498) as the trio, the first women gymnasts to represent the country in the quadrennial sportsfest, failed to advance.
Finnegan, a mainstay of the Louisiana State University varsity squad, came closest to qualifying in an individual event, finishing 17th overall in the vault with a score of 13.383 points, with the top eight advancing to the finals.
With the trio’s abrupt exist, Carlos Edriel Yulo was left to carry the cudgels for the Filipino gymnasts. He is scheduled to see action in the individual all-around finals tomorrow at the same arena.
He is also set to compete in the finals of the floor exercise on Saturday and vault the succeeding day.
