Meet the youngest Filipina Olympic athlete: Levi Jung-Ruvivar
Photo from levijungruivivar/Instagram
The 2024 Paris Olympics is just around the corner, and the Philippine delegation is hopeful of surpassing their impressive performance from the 2020 edition.
Among the athletes representing the country is Filipino American gymnast Levi Jung-Ruvivar, one of the four gymnasts alongside Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo who are hoping to snatch a podium finish or gold for the country.
Here are some facts about this hopeful and determined young gymnastics prodigy.
She’s the youngest Filipina athlete
At 18, the Fil-Am gymnastics champion is the youngest Filipina athlete competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her journey to the games was secured when she clinched a bronze medal in the individual all-around category on May 24 at the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
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She was born in Hawai’i
Born in Hawai’i, Jung-Ruvivar’s Filipino roots are through her father, Anthony, a former member of the US juniors gymnastics team. Her multicultural heritage and strong family ties have significantly shaped her athletic career and influenced her decision to represent the Philippines on the global stage.
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“Growing up, Filipino culture has been a very important part of my life and I am beyond grateful to connect to my Filipino culture through my love of gymnastics,” she wrote in an Instagram post. Jung-Ruvivar spent her early years in the Philippines before moving to the United States as a young adult.
She switched teams
After representing the US for several years, she’s now gearing up to proudly compete for the Philippines. The 18-year-old gymnastics sensation shared her decision on Instagram last year, expressing her excitement about this new chapter in her athletic journey.
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“Being able to compete for the Philippines fills me with so much pride, appreciation and joy,” she further expressed.
Her decision to switch allegiances adds depth to the growing Philippine gymnastics scene and brings her into a group of talented Filipino American gymnasts, including Finnegan and Malabuyo.
She’s unstoppable
At 18, Jung-Ruvivar is now headed to Paris for the Games, but her journey in gymnastics began with numerous accolades at a young age. At just 10 years old, she claimed first place in the all-around and uneven bars, and second in the vault at the Combs-La-Ville in France, following multiple victories in the American gymnastics circuit.
Her achievements also include a silver medal on the uneven bars in her first elite competition at the WOGA Classic, a third-place finish in the Desert Lights National Qualifier and another silver on the uneven bars at the American Classic.
The future looks bright for this Fil-Am gymnast, not just in the Olympics, but also in her career as she continues to aspire for success and inspire other young athletes.
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