Photo Courtesy: levijungruivivar | Instagram
THE Philippines has a number of Olympic athletes to represent the country across various sports such as weightlifting, rowing, fencing, and athletics, and gymnastics.
Dreams are ageless as Filipino-American Gymnast, Levi Jung Ruivivar, the youngest Filipina athlete, as she secured her place in Paris 2024 when she bagged the silver medal with a score of 13.633 in the uneven bars final.
She will be competing in the Gymnastic category after qualifying in April, becoming the third Filipino gymnast to achieve the feat, following Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan.
Levi Jung Ruivivar, an 18-year-old Filipino-American Athlete found her Filipino roots through her father Anthony, who was born in Hawaii and also a former member of the US juniors gymnastics team.
Ruivivar started her gymnastics journey at just 18 months old, taking her little tiny steps towards mastering poise, and finding her footing in the gymnastics equipment.
Through those early steps, training with her coaches, and determined support from her family, she developed a passion for Gymnastics, driving her to become the youngest Filipino athlete on the Philippine Centennial Team to secure her ticket to Paris 2024.
At the age of 12, Ruivivar sought to reach the star in the gymnastic world in the USA, with her skills and dedication on her path towards success.
Earlier in her career, she earned different recognitions, including the silver medal on uneven bars in her first elite competition at the WOGA Classic, third-place finish in the Desert Lights National Qualifier, and silver place on uneven bars at the American Classic.
In the 2021 Winter Cup, Ruivivar also brought home the gold medal on the uneven bars and sixth place in the all-around category.
However, her journey faced a setback when she encountered an unforeseen hurdle—a wrist injury that required surgery in 2021, causing her to miss summer elite competitions.
Yet, Ruivivar is not shaken off by the storm she faces, her determination and passion for gymnastics remain.
She bounced back at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, winning third place in the all-around category.
She followed it with a 6th place in the FX event at the 2022 Szombathely World Challenge Cup in Szombathely, Hungary,
She then secured 1st place in the team even in the 2022 DTB Pokal Mixed Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.
Her remarkable performances not only lead her to 2021 Paris but also heighten her potential as a rising star in gymnastics.
Ruivivar’s hard work and dedication since she was a child is now paying off, in May, she won the bronze medal in the 2024 Asian Gymnastics Union Senior Women’s Asian Championships in Uzbekistan.
Before that achievement, she brought home the silver medal in the uneven bars category at the 2024 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup series in Doha, Qatar.
In the competition, Ruivivar finished at eight with a score of 13.12, she then secured her spot in 2024 Paris after ranking in the top two of the uneven bars at the end of the four-leg World Cup Series.
Ruivivar arrived in Doha with 44 points in the Olympic rankings, having earned 14 points for finishing 13th in Cairo, Egypt, 12 points for securing 12th place in Cottbus, Germany, and 18 points for achieving eighth place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
On her Instagram account, Ruivivar shared her Olympics Journey.
“This has not been an easy journey, to say the least. There have been so many ups and downs along the way,” she said.
Her success in securing a ticket for the Olympics highlights the increasing prestige of Filipino athletes on the international stage.
The 2024 Olympics marked Ruivivar’s debut representing the Philippines, having previously competed for several years under the US flag before deciding to pursue her gymnastics career in Philippine colors.
In her Instagram post in September, Ruiviars announced her intent to represent the country.
“I wanted to announce that moving forward in my gymnastics career, I will be competing for the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP). I have truly cherished every opportunity I’ve had while competing nationally and internationally for the United States of America,” she wrote.
Ruivivar expressed her appreciation for the opportunity that the US gave to her, allowing her to represent the country both on the national and international stage.
“While this will be an adjustment, I still plan on pursuing my dreams of making the Olympics in 2024 and performing to the absolute best of my ability. I will continue to train at WOGA, but I am so excited to get the opportunity to represent the Philippines Internationally,” she continued.
In the press conference held at the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) Gymnasium in Intramuros on May 30, Ruivivar mentioned that she is eager to carry the flag with honor and pride, and giving her best performance is what she’s excited about the most.
In her interview with One Sports, she shared that growing up surrounded by her Filipino family through her father had deepened her connections to Filipinos.
Wanting to strengthen this familial bond was one of the reasons why she decided to represent the country.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics is approaching, Ruivivar is still preparing for her competition, hoping to bring any colors of medals for the country.
In an earlier interview with BusinessMirror, she said, “I do believe we can win a medal…We just have to keep going and dream big.”
In the report from One Sport, Ruivivar said “Making the Olympics has always been my goal, so I’m just really, really excited. And just to go out there and do my best and make the finals and continue to hopefully win medals for the Philippines.”
Ruivivar’s journey to the Olympics reflects her commitment and dedication to her sport, and her triumph at her age strengthened her future in gymnastics.
Despite going through a tough competition, her determination leads her to Paris 2024.
Levi Jung Ruivivar will be seeing action in the uneven bars, floor exercise, balance beam, and vault in Paris and is set to compete in the Paris Olympics 2024 on August 1, 6:15 PM, Central European Time.
With reports from Rose Cath Ogrimen
FINDING your precinct number for the 2025 mid-year elections has been made easier. The Commission…
FINDING the perfect dating spot during the dry season takes more than regular effort. The…
ALEX EALA, much like in her previous WTA 1000 event, will advance to the next…
THE queen of deadpan is far from done. After three years of silence (her preferred…
Vatican City, Holy See: Pope Francis died of a stroke on Monday at the Vatican…
Vatican City, Holy See: Pope Francis thanked his personal nurse for encouraging him to greet…