UCLA's Emma Malabuyo finishes tied for the highest score among the three Filipina gymnasts competing in the all-around competition at the Paris Olympics.
In the corridors under Bercy Arena, Emma Malabuyo prepared for a dream to come true. The
gymnast felt the pulse of a full crowd. She saw the flag of the Philippines hanging in all corners of the stands. The Olympic rings were printed on every mat. She fought back tears. “I'm doing it,” she thought to herself, “I'm here.” Malabuyo made her Olympic debut Sunday, competing in the all-around in qualifications at Bercy Arena. Her 51.099 score finished tied for the highest among the three Filipina gymnasts competing.
admitted the performance was not her best. She challenged herself with difficult skills but wobbled on a standing Arabian on beam and had to grab the beam to steady herself during her first event. She opened her floor routine with a double layout and took a large step forward on the landing. But she finished her Olympic competition with a perfectly stuck dismount on bars.
coach Janelle McDonald, who accompanied Malabuyo to the Olympics as her personal coach, jumped in the air and raised both arms. “Oh my gosh,” Malabuyo thought to herself as her feet landed solidly on the mat, “I’m an Olympian!” “It was the cherry on top, being able to stick that landing,” Malabuyo said. “Because I really wanted to do that and end on a good note.” It was a final exclamation point on a triumphant return to elite gymnastics for the 2021 U.S. Olympic alternate.
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