Gymnast Ruivivar books Paris Olympic slot

MANILA, Philippines -- Levi Ruivivar has punched her ticket to the Paris Olympics after taking home the silver in the uneven bars final of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Qatar.

The Filipino-American Ruivivar finished with a 5.8 score in difficulty and 7.833 in execution, good for 13.633, thus securing her first medal in the worlds.

The 17-year-old finished behind Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour, who had a total of 15.366 points, and ahead of bronze medalist Alena Tsitavets, who had a score of 13.600.

With the podium finish, the Ruivivar received the 30 Olympic qualifying points given to the top-finishing athlete of the event, since Nemour already stamped her ticket to Paris last year.

This brought Ruivivar’s total Olympic qualifying points to 62, as she garnered 14 in Cairo and 18 in Baku.

After the World Cup series, final quotas could still be earned at the 2024 Continental Championships in the all-around events, wherein five athletes of each gender could obtain one quota each.

She is set to join fellow gymnasts Aleah Finnegan and Carlos Yulo to the Paris Games, as confirmed by the Gymnastics Assocation of the Philippines. 

"Next stop: Paris! In addition to her SILVER win in the Uneven Bars Event in World Cup Doha, Levi Ruivivar has successfully secured her spot in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games as an event specialist," it said in a Facebook post. 

They are among the Filipinos going to the Paris Games, along with pole vaulter EJ Obiena, boxers Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas and Eumir Marcial, and weightlifters John Ceniza, Vanessa Sarno and Elreen Ando.