WITH her US NCAA varsity competitions cut short, Filipino-American gymnast Emma Malabuyo can now focus on her Olympic aspirations as she competes in the fourth and final leg of the FIG World Cup series from April 17 to 20 in Doha, Qatar.
A Gymnastics Association of the Philippines source confirmed that Malabuyo, Fil-Hawaiian Levi Ruivivar Jr. and former two-time world champion Carlos Edriel Yulo will compete in the final competition of the series serving as qualifying meets for individual apparatus events to the Paris Olympic Games.
“Carlos will be competing in all six events in men’s artistic gymnastics, Malabuyo will be on the balance beam and floor exercise, and Ruivivar in four women’s artistic gymnastics events, including the uneven bars and vault,” the source said.
The campaign of the UCLA Bruins and Malabuyo in the US NCAA gymnastics meet qualifiers ended last week as the school wound up third in the California regionals with a team score of 197.050 points.
“The Bruins came in third behind Denver (197.275) and Arizona State University (197.150) with a difference of only 0.1 keeping the UCLA women from progressing onto the next round of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships 2024,” the website essentiallysports.com reported.
This development has given Malabuyo more time to redirect her efforts on qualifying for the women’s floor exercise in Paris where she is currently No. 2 in the FIG World Cup Series with 69 points behind No. Austrian veteran Charlie Morz (80) and ahead of No. 3 Lara Casabuena of Spain (45).
