They may have fell short of qualifying for the finals, but Team Philippines showed its grit and heart in the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships.
Team Philippines gave the home crowd something to cheer for in the second day of the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport, Pasay on Friday night, with three young gymnasts taking the floor for the host nation.
Elisabeth Antone, Maxine Bondoc, Jellian Bantilan, and Sabina Tayag bannered the flag with Antone, Bondoc, and Bantilan strutting their stuff in the women’s all-around qualification. Tayag, meanwhile, was the reserve gymnast.
Even as they missed out on qualifying for the all-around and apparatus finals, there was still a lot of pride for the home bets — especially for Antone who finished 45th overall among all competitors.
[READ: Filipina gymnasts miss mark as France rules Day 2 of Junior World Championships]
“I feel like it builds my confidence because I know that I can get out in front of a big crowd and have fun still and do my thing.” she told media after they wrapped up their subdivision late Friday.
Antone was touted as one of the more experienced gymnasts among the pack, with the rest of her team only having around a month’s time to prepare for the world championship. Having medalled in the Asian Championships before, she said that it was still a different feeling to compete on the world stage.
“It felt a little bit different because in Asian Championships, it was a much bigger arena too, so it wasn't compressed. You could actually see the whole crowd. It was different.” she said.
Big support system
At the end of the day, it was an overall great experience for the team thanks to the support of the Filipino crowd.
Even as the girls struggled at some points in their rotations, including an injury scare for Bondoc, the packed fans in Newport were more than happy to egg their bets on throughout the night.
For Antone herself, who is based abroad, it was a good feeling to perform in front of her family.
“It helped me having them. I could hear them cheering really loud, so it was nice.” she said of her family’s support.
Antone was the highest ranked among the Filipinas with Bondoc and Bantilan finishing 93rd and 107th, respectively, in the women’s all-around.
The Philippines then finished 24th overall in the team event in a pool of 30 teams. France netted top honors to win their first team gold in the junior event.
[ALSO READ: PSC chairman Pato Gregorio pushes for more international tilts for young Filipino athletes]
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.