After three months of relentless effort, Emma Lauren Malabuyo not only claimed the bronze medal in the individual all-around event at the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Uzbekistan on Friday evening but also earned a spot at the Paris Olympics this August.
In a closely contested third-place finish, the 21-year-old Malabuyo secured her Olympic berth. “I’ve been so persistent, I never gave up on this dream. I never gave up on myself. And I really fought so hard just to get here. So much pressure, I could feel it, but I gave it my all,” Malabuyo said in a statement online.
Chinese gymnasts Hu Jiafei and Qin Xinyi claimed first and second places, respectively, leading China to the senior team title.
Hu scored 50.699 to earn gold, narrowly beating silver medalist Qin, who scored 50.566. Malabuyo edged Kazakhstan’s Aida Bauyrzhanova by a fraction (0.033) for bronze with a score of 50.398, while Bauyrzhanova settled for fourth with 50.365.
Malabuyo’s achievement makes her the fourth Filipino gymnast to qualify for the Paris Games, joining Aleah Finnegan and Levi Ruivivar in the women’s division, along with Carlos Yulo in the men’s division.
“I am so thankful to represent the Philippines. Just seeing all the love and support and the encouragement means so much to me. It reminded me so much of back home at our Filipino parties. I want to inspire future generations of Filipina gymnasts, and getting this opportunity means so much to me. I can’t wait to represent the Philippines,” added Emma, a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Malabuyo had sought to qualify for the Paris Games earlier this year by participating in all four legs of the FIG’s Apparatus World Cup series, which began in Cairo in February and ended in Doha in April.
While Ruivivar secured his Olympic spot by placing second in the uneven bar rankings, Malabuyo fell short, finishing third in the floor exercise rankings.