Photo from levijungruivivar/Instagram
During the grand homecoming of the Philippine delegation to the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug. 14, the absence of three Filipino American gymnasts – Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar – sparked confusion and concern.
Their non-attendance was initially questioned by fans and later confirmed by Finnegan, who revealed on TikTok that the trio was not invited to the event.
In a comment on a TikTok video, Finnegan, currently in the Philippines with fellow Olympian Malabuyo, clarified that they were not informed about the homecoming.
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But recently, Jung-Ruivivar, the youngest athlete in this year’s Philippine delegation, took to social media to share her side of the story, expressing her disappointment over the lack of communication and that she was “hurt” by the said situation.
View this post on InstagramIn a statement posted on her Instagram page, Ruivivar expressed her deep regret at missing the event.
ADVERTISEMENT“I truly wish from the bottom of my heart that I could have attended and been part of this event, but unfortunately I was never informed that I was invited or presented with the opportunity to go,” she shared.
Ruivivar also posted screenshots of a message exchange with Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) president Cynthia Carrion.
In the conversation, Carrion indicated that the event was reserved for medalists only. With this premise, the event should only include the two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo and bronze medalists Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas.
ADVERTISEMENTRuivivar, however, had heard that all Olympians were invited and sought clarification but received no further communication.
During the homecoming parade and the courtesy call with the President at Malacañang, the delegation included rower Joanie Delgaco, pole vaulter EJ Obiena (though not present in the parade), swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch, as well as Fil-Am hurdler Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang Tolentino, among others.
“The following week, I was surprised when I saw all Filipino Olympians, except for me, Aleah, and Emma, in Manila participating in a meeting with President Bongbong Marcos and joining in a parade. I was really hurt considering this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I missed out on,” she added.
Levi Jung-Ruivivar expressed her desire to celebrate with her fellow Olympians and share in the excitement of their collective success.
“I wanted to be part of the celebration with my fellow Olympians and to share in the excitement of the success of this Olympics with my country, the Philippines. I truly wish I could have gone considering I have sacrificed endlessly to perform for my country and to make everyone proud,” she wrote.
Despite the setback, Ruivivar still emphasized her commitment to representing the Philippines and her excitement for the future.
“I look forward to taking every opportunity to come to the Philippines and hopefully inspire the new generation of Filipina gymnasts that are the future,” she concluded.
The situation also drew attention to the absence of other athletes, including golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina, who were not present at the parade or the meeting with President Marcos.
Prior to this, issues arose when Ardina disclosed concerns about their uniforms and the lack of support they received from the Philippine organization.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) previously stated that all Filipino athletes who competed in Paris were invited and informed about the events through their respective National Sports Associations (NSAs).
However, the experience of the gymnasts suggests a communication breakdown that left some athletes feeling sidelined during a significant moment of national pride.
Ruivivar captioned the post, “Thank you to everyone who extended their love and support from the Philippines.”
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