LOCAL sports fans will have a glimpse of young and promising Fil-Am gymnast Lauren Supnet in March when she sees action for the first time for the country in the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines Challenge, according to Atty. Raymond Fortun.
“Lauren and her coaches will be traveling to Manila at the end of March, and she will compete for the Philippines in the GAP Challenge. She has been invited by the GAP already,” Fortun said over the weekend.
Now training at the Metropolitan Gymnastics club in Kent, Washington, Supnet, 14, holds a Philippine passport due to her Filipino heritage.
Fortun, who is closely related to the athlete and has kept tabs on her development, explained that “Supnet’s grandmother, Celeste Aid Fortun-Delos Trinos, and grandfather, Eduardo Delos Trinos, are both Filipinos. Her mother Wilhelmina Delos Trinos-Supnet was also born in the Philippines. Her father is half-Mexican and half-Filipino.
“Lauren is American by birth (under the jus soli principle) and Filipina by blood (under the jus sanguinis principle of citizenship),” the lawyer added of his grandniece, who is also related to the late basketball player Dave Supnet.
It was GAP president Cynthia Carrion who gave the nod to Supnet after seeing video clips of the gymnast, who wound up 11th last year in the all-around event in her age group in the US National Championships.
“Similar to what we have done to Emma Malabuyo and Aleah Finnegan, we welcome outstanding gymnasts based abroad who are willing to represent our country in international competition,” said Carrion of the two athletes who made their Olympic debut for the Philippines at the Paris Summer Games.
“We pray that Lauren will likewise bring pride and honor to the country in the years to come,” added Carrion, who is largely credited for the historic Olympic golden double of Carlos Edriel Yulo, highlighting the country’s centennial participation in Summer Games in the French capital last August.
Yulo’s golden exploits earned him the Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Year award which will be given to him during the PSA Awards Night on Jan. 27 at the Manila Hotel.