ALEAH FINNEGAN pulled off a modest performance at the world championships in Antwerp on Tuesday that qualified her for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Finnegan is the first Filipina to earn qualification in the Olympics after Maria Luisa Floro and Evelyn Magluyan, who competed almost half a century ago in the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games.
“It’s a dream come true,” Finnegan told the Olympic Channel. “I am very thankful for the Philippines for giving me the opportunity.”
Finnegan is a 20-year-old Filipino-American from St. Louis Missouri. She’s the third Filipino to qualify early for Paris after fellow gymnast Carlos Yulo and world No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena.
Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion confirmed Finnegan’s qualification to BusinessMirror on Tuesday.
Finnegan amassed 51.366 points to land at No. 32 in women’s all-around in Antwerp, enough for her to secure the ticket to Paris and a second reserve in the world championships’ final.
Finnegan tallied 13.00 points for 18th place in vault, 12.433 for 73rd spot in the uneven bars, 12.700 for 38th position in the balance beam and 12.833 for 34th spot in the floor exercise.
She bagged one of the 14 Olympic berths staked in the world championships.
“I have one in men’s and another one in women’s Carrion said.
Another Filipino-American, Kylee Kvamme, finished 63rd in the women’s all-around qualification with a total score 49.432 built around her 13.4 points in vault and 12.266 in uneven bars (both 76th place), 12.300 in balance beam (59th) and 11.466 in floor exercise (128th).