Filipino-American standout Emma Malabuyo is currently balancing her academic pursuits at the University of California-Los Angeles while excelling as an athlete scholar.
Next month, the 21-year-old Malabuyo will resume her quest for a spot in the Paris Olympics alongside fellow Fil-Am Lee Jung Ruivivar.
Malabuyo and Ruivivar will compete for Olympic qualification slots at the fourth and final leg of the 2024 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Doha, Qatar, scheduled for April.
Cliff Parks, Malabuyo’s coach, will accompany her to Doha to strategize and help her realize her Olympic dreams. “This is the last chance for Emma to secure her spot in the Olympics,” remarked Parks in an interview with the Manila Standard.
Organizers will allocate up to eight women’s Olympic slots based on the performances of the top-ranked gymnasts on each apparatus after the series in April.
Malabuyo, a five-time member of the US national team, currently holds the second position in the rankings with 69 points, despite finishing fourth in the women’s floor exercise finals during the Baku leg over the weekend.
She transitioned from USA Gymnastics to the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines, aiming to continue her elite career after serving as an alternate at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Parks remains optimistic about Malabuyo’s chances, stating, “All she needs to do is continue performing at her best. The competitor trailing behind her has 49 points.”
Following the Doha event, Malabuyo and Ruivivar are slated to participate in another qualifier, the Asian Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from May 2 to 4.
During the Baku meet, Austrian Charlize Moerz claimed the gold medal in the women’s floor exercise, securing her spot in the Olympics.
Despite finishing fourth in Baku, Malabuyo remains determined to secure her place in the Olympics. Moerz currently leads the rankings with 80 points.
Meanwhile, Ruivivar, a junior standout, also harbors hopes of Olympic qualification despite finishing eighth in the women’s uneven bars finals.
The competition for the top two spots in the women’s uneven bars is intense, with Ruivivar among six contenders vying for qualification.
New Zealand’s Georgia Rose Brown leads the pack, followed closely by contenders from Sweden, Vanessa Masova, Jennifer Williams, and Nathalie Westlund. Croatia’s Sara Sukelic shares the fifth and sixth spots with Ruivivar.
Fil American gymnasts Lee Jung-Ruivivar (left) and Emma Malabuyo (right) show off the medals they earned in the recent 2023 Asian Women’s Artistic Gymnastics. They are seeking qualification by joining the World Cup series.