Cynthia Carrion apologizes to Fil-Am gymnasts over missed heroes’ parade

Screencap from Radyo Pilipinas

Sparking a wave of concern, Cynthia Carrion, president of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP), has issued a public apology to three Filipina gymnasts who missed the Aug. 14 homecoming parade.

The unexpected absence of Filipino American Olympians Levi Jung-Ruivivar, Emma Malabuyo and Aleah Finnegan from the celebration has created a stir in the Filipino gymnastics community.

Carrion’s apology came during a press conference, streamed by Radyo Pilipinas on Facebook, where she addressed the situation alongside Malabuyo and Finnegan, who recently held a gymnastics camp with over 80 aspiring athletes in Manila the past few days.

The country’s gymnastics president expressed her regret over the miscommunication that led to the trio’s exclusion from the event.

“I’m sorry we did not get advice, earlier advice about you.” she stated, directly addressing the gymnasts. “You should have joined all our events. You should have been there. You are Olympians but me, we ourselves, we didn’t know about it.”

Carrion further explained that the information about the parade was relayed to her at the last minute, leaving little time to make the necessary arrangements for the gymnasts’ participation. She admitted to feeling “worried” due to the lack of clear plans and emphasized that had she known about the event earlier, she would have ensured the gymnasts’ inclusion.

“Had I known, I would be so proud to have them with me. If we had known earlier, we would have told them to come because they were coming anyway,” Cynthia Carrion said.

Jung-Ruivivar, the youngest athlete in this year’s Philippine delegation, expressed her disappointment through social media. In a letter posted before Carrion issued a public apology, the gymnast revealed that she was “hurt” by the lack of communication and shared screenshots of a message exchange with Carrion, where the GAP president indicated that the event was initially intended only for medalists.

Despite the oversight, Jung-Ruivivar confirmed in her latest Instagram post that she is en route to the Philippines, eager to connect with her supporters and fulfill her goals.

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A post shared by Levi Jung-Ruivivar (@levijungruivivar)

In the video shot at the airport, she wrote, “POV: You’re flying to Manila to celebrate the Olympics with everyone,” accompanied by a caption, “Can’t contain my excitement!!! Thank you to the President and his office for making this dream come true. Can’t wait to see you all soon!”