IT will be the turn of the national women’s artistic gymnastics squad, bannered by Olympic-bound Levi Ruivivar Jr. and Emma Malabuyo, to hog the spotlight as the qualifying round of the 11th Senior Women’s Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships get going today at the Sports Palace in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Ruivivar, who has clinched an Olympic spot in the uneven bars, and Malabuyo, a silver medalist in the floor exercise in the 2023 Singapore edition, are tipped as strong contenders in their respective events.
Joining them are Pacific Rim women’s vault bronze medalist and comebacking Kaitlin de Guzman, a women’s balance beam gold medalist in the 2017 Malaysia Southeast Asian Games, who are likewise expected to fight for honors.
Hobbled by injuries in the past, Texas-based De Guzman is now fit and ready to represent the country anew. She is the daughter of former national standout Cintamoni de Guzman.
Competing under her maiden name Dela Cruz, Mrs. De Guzman bagged a gold medal in the women’s uneven bars of the 1995 Thailand SEA Games in the Thai city of Chiang Mai and a women’s team gold medalist in the 1997 Indonesia edition of the regional meet.
“Ma’am Cynthia (Carrion, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president) wants our women’s gymnasts to have greater international exposure so we can build an even stronger team for next year’s SEA Games in Thailand,” noted GAP deputy secretary general Rowena Eusuya.
Should Olympic-bound campaigner Aleah Finnegan, who copped a pair of golds and silvers in the 2021 Vietnam Games, also be available, the PH women’s artistic gymnastics squad will be a force to reckon with next year, Eusuya added.
