As the world eagerly anticipates the 2024 Paris Olympics, a wave of Filipino athletes has emerged, poised to make their mark on the global stage.
Representing a range of sports including weightlifting, gymnastics, rowing, and fencing, these athletes have earned their spots through outstanding performances in international competitions.
Let's take a look at the 15 Filipinos that now have their shot at competing for the gold in France later this year.
EJ Obiena (Athletics-Pole Vault)
Arguably, the country's best chance at bagging a gold medal in Paris.
Obiena qualified for the Olympics after clearing 5.82 meters in the BAUHAUS-Galan leg of the Diamond League in Stockholm last July.
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The Asian record holder will look to continue his fine form in the hopes of bagging the country's second gold medal in the Olympics, following in the footsteps of Hidilyn Diaz in Tokyo three years ago.
Caloy Yulo (Gymnastics-Floor Exercise)
Yulo likewise secured his spot in Paris early on following his performance in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships last October.
Despite finishing third in the event, Yulo was able to qualify after all of his opponents had already secured Olympic berths through the men’s all-around qualification.
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Paris will be the 24-year-old gymnast's second appearance in the Olympics following his debut in Tokyo in 2021 where Yulo finished fourth in the vault.
Aleah Finnegan (Gymnastics-All Around)
The Philippines will have its first female gymnast in the Olympics in 60 years, as Aleah Finnegan secured her spot for Paris by being among the top 14 eligible athletes in the women's all-around qualification at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium last October.
[ALSO READ: Fil-Am gymnast Aleah Finnegan bares realistic goals in competing in 2024 Paris Olympics]
Finnegan, who initially competed as part of the USA women's gymnastics team, has swiftly transitioned to representing the Philippines.
Last year, she made her debut for the country at the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, where she clinched gold medals in vault and team events, and also secured a pair of bronze medals at the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Singapore in June.
Eumir Marcial (Boxing)
Three Filipino boxers have already secured their spots in the Paris Games.
The first one being Eumir Marcial after advancing to the gold medal round of the men’s 80kg class in the 19th Asian Games.
Even as gold eludes Marcial, Eumir is expected to be a top contender as he challenges for the gold once more in Paris.
Nesthy Petecio (Boxing)
Nesthy Petecio, who settled for silver in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has once again secured her place in the Summer Games.
This time, Petecio clinched one of the two available spots in the women's featherweight 57kg division by defeating Esra Kahraman Yildiz of Turkey in the semifinals, emerging victorious via split decision.
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Aira Villegas (Boxing)
Aira Villegas will be stepping onto the Olympic stage for the first time, having secured one of the four slots in the women's 50kg division.
Her path to the Olympics was solidified with a victory over Bulgaria's Genadieva Zlatislava in the quarterfinals, earning a unanimous decision in her favor.
John Ceniza (Weightlifting)
Weightlifter John Ceniza is poised for his Olympic debut after securing his spot for the Paris Games with a strong performance in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup men’s 61kg event in Phuket, Thailand, on April 2, 2024.
The 26-year-old Cebuano comfortably met the qualification cutoff. Only the top 10 in each weight category will compete on the sport’s biggest stage.
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Elreen Ando (Weightlifting)
Elreen Ando earned her place for a return to the Olympics after a solid performance in the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, on April 3, 2024. She secured her spot in the women’s 59kg division for the Paris Games.
The 25-year-old Cebuana weightlifter outperformed Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist, with a total lift of 228kg in the World Cup. This placed her within the top 10 qualification cutoff.
Ando, who set a new Southeast Asian Games record last year, aims to surpass her seventh-place finish from her Olympic debut in the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Vanessa Sarno (Weightlifting)
Vanessa Sarno, the reigning Southeast Asian Games champion, secured her spot in the Paris Games on April 7, 2024, leading the largest Philippine weightlifting team in the Olympics in nearly 40 years.
The 20-year-old Bohol native remained in the top 10 of the IWF Olympic Qualification Ranking after an impressive performance in the World Cup, where she broke her own national record in the snatch event.
Levi Jung-Ruivivar (Gymnastics)
Levi Jung-Ruivivar made a remarkable breakthrough to become the Philippines’ third gymnastics representative for the Paris Games.
The Filipino-American teenager, who narrowly qualified for the final, won a silver medal in the women’s uneven bars at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Doha, Qatar, on April 19, 2024.
This achievement boosted her qualification points, making her the country’s 10th Olympian for Paris.
Joanie Delgaco (Rowing)
Joanie Delgaco became the first female rower from the Philippines to qualify for the Olympics on April 21, 2024, following a strong showing in the women’s single sculls at the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Olympic Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea.
Delgaco finished fourth in the 2,000-meter event, securing her spot in the top five and her ticket to Paris.
Samantha Catantan (Fencing)
Philippine fencing will make a return to the Olympic stage after three decades, thanks to Samantha Catantan’s success in the continental Paris Games qualifiers.
The former UAAP standout won the women’s foil category at the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on April 27, 2024, becoming the first Filipino fencer to earn an Olympic spot since Walter Torres competed in the 1992 Barcelona Games.
[ALSO READ: Pinay fencer Sam Catantan recalls ACL injury, tough Paris Olympics journey]
Emma Malabuyo (Gymnastics)
After previously serving an alternate gymnast for the United States in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Emma Malabuyo is set to represent the Philippines after qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Malabuyo finished third in the individual all-around event at the 2024 Asian Gymnastics Championships on Friday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Despite missing out on qualification through the FIG World Cup Apparatus series, the 21-year-old excelled by scoring 50.398 points.
This earned her not only a bronze medal, her first in the Asian championships, but also the status of the highest-ranked eligible athlete for the Summer Games.
Carlo Paalam (Boxing)
Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam secured his place in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by earning his spot through the 2nd World Qualification Tournament held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Paalam triumphed over India's Sachin Sachin in the semifinals of the men's 57-kg category with a 5-0 score. Two judges scored the bout 30-27 in favor of the Filipino fighter, while three judges had it at 29-28.
This victory earned Paalam his ticket to Paris, which he had previously missed due to a shoulder injury that disrupted his campaign in the first World Qualification Tournament in March.
Hergie Bacyadan (Boxing)
Hergie Bacyadan likewise secured her spot for Paris 2024 by winning via unanimous decision against Venezuela’s Maryelis Yriza in the women’s 75-kg category at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament in Thailand.
Bacyadan dominated Yriza in their quota bout, securing one of the four available tickets in their weight class.
She knocked down Yriza in the second round, leading to a 5-0 victory in her third fight of the World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament 2.