By MARK REY MONTEJO
In any sporting event, heartbreak is inevitable.
In the case of gymnast Emma Malabuyo, it did more good than harm as it fueled her to strive for more because she knew there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.
And guess what, her perseverance paid off handsomely as she became the fourth gymnast from the Philippines to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 21-year-old Malabuyo sealed her quota spot to the Summer Games after claiming the bronze medal in the individual all-around event of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships on Friday, May 24, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The UCLA gymnastics star tallied 50.398 points, enough for a podium finish and joined fellow PH gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan and Levi Jung-Ruivivar to the gates of the French capital.
Though Chinese bets Jiafei Hu (50.699) and Xinyi Qin (50.566) took the gold and silver honors, respectively, Malabuyo obtained the quota after listing the highest points for an eligible athlete.
Before that, Malabuyo admitted that she lost her confidence and wept for a couple of days when she failed to qualify in the International Gymnastics Federation’s World Cup series which started last February until April.
“At the end of the series, I was honestly super heartbroken, and I remember just crying for three days straight,” Malabuyo said to Olympics.com.
“I pulled all nighters because I just was so heartbroken and I couldn’t believe it. I was really doubting myself,” she added.
When Malabuyo was about to sink in a pit of sorrow, her parents were there to comfort her, their words calmed her nerves.
And voila, she rediscovered the zest for life and soon, she found herself back in the gym once again just in time for the Asian Championships.
“My parents reminded me of, like, ‘You know what? Just try doing all around for the Asian Championships. Just give it your all and just see what happens,'” she recalled.
“I really wanted to give up because I doubted myself, but as I started getting my skills [back] fairly quickly. I was like, ‘Wait, maybe, I can just have a good showing all around.’ I didn’t think I had the potential to get an Olympic spot. I definitely was like, ‘Okay, we’ll see where this ends up.’ But I performed and just did my best and I gave it my all today,” she added.
It worked. After serving as USA alternate for Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Malabuyo can call herself as an official Olympian.
Malabuyo expressed her amazement and couldn’t believe that she’s going to the Paris Olympics to represent her grandparents’ roots.
“I’m just so overwhelmed. I’m speechless. I think I’m still shaking just hearing the news. And I’m still like, ‘Is it real?’ Like, I still can’t believe it just because it’s been such a long and arduous path to get here,” said Malabuyo.
“I’m in shock and I can’t believe it,” she concluded.
