Fil-Am gymnast Malabuyo earns floor exercise silver at FIG World Cup in Cairo
FIL-AM gymnast Emma Malabuyo snared a floor exercise silver medal and earned some precious Paris Olympic qualifying points in the FIG Apparatus World Cup in Cairo, Egypt over the weekend.
The 21-year-old UCLA standout just did enough in garnering a 12.670 score and capturing the silver behind eventual gold winner Mana Okamura of Japan, who posted a 13.070.
Spain’s Laura Casabuena pocketed the bronze with a 12.630.
It also earned Ms. Malabuyo some precious points to the quadrennial games where she hopes to join pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, boxer Eumir Felix Marcial and fellow gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleha Finnegan, who both qualified to Paris via the World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium last year.
For it to happen, Ms. Malabuyo hopes to collect points and finish in the top two per apparatus, which will be based on the Olympic Qualification World Cup ranking list.
She is scheduled to see action in more legs of the World Cup like in Cottbus, Germany from Feb. 22 to 25, Baku, Azerbaijan from March 7 to 10 and Doha, Qatar from April 17 to 20.
Ms. Malabuyo was actually an alternate in the United States team that battled in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago but was not able to see action.
If she does well, Ms. Malabuyo, who joined the national team last year, might just be able to realize her Olympic dreams. — Joey Villar