The moment of truth is at hand for Fil-American gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar.
Ruivivar, an underdog, barged into women’s uneven bars final in the Doha, Qatar leg of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series on Wednesday night.
The 17-year-old Ruivivar, who is in Doha with Emma Malabuyo and Carlos Yulo, landed in eighth place with a score of 13.2, 7.7 points on difficulty and 5.5 in execution.
This now gives her a chance to earn a podium finish, move up in points and get an Olympic qualification slot to Paris on a good ranking score and by being among the top two of the uneven bars tally at the end of the four-leg World Cup Series.
Ruivivar, whose family is from Los Angeles, California, is behind top notcher Kaylia Nemour of Algeria, who leads with 15.44, followed by Alena Tsitavets of Belarus with 13.666 points and Georgia-Rose Brown of New Zealand with 13.4 points.
In fourth is Sweden’s Nathalie Westlund with 13.4, followed by Portugal’s Filipa Martins (13.366), Belgium’s Maellyse Brassart (13.266), and Ukraine’s Anna Lashchevska (13.233).
The Doha meet is the end of a long Olympic qualification process for apparatus specialists and the competition will reveal the 20 new Olympians, who will make it to the Paris games.
Observers note that there are 11 gymnasts who could mathematically qualify for the uneven bars places, with many aspirants close with their accumulated points.
Malabuyo is seeking a podium and the second Olympic qualifying slot in the women’s floor exercise, with Charlize Moerz of Austria already assured mathematically as she secured the no. 1 spot.
This second seat will be a contest between Spain’s Laura Casabuena, Malabuyo (PHI) and Sevgi Kayisoglu of Turkey.
Moerz has 80 points at no. 1 spot, while Malabuyo runs second with 69 points, on points earned in all three legs, Cairo, Cottbus and Baku Casabuena and Kayidoglu totals of 45 and 43 came from their participation in two legs.
At the end of the World Cup series, the two gymnasts with the highest points score on each apparatus will claim a ticket to the games, with the best three rankings points scores counting toward the final total.