Meet the 22 Filipino athletes set to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Filipino-American gymnast Aleah Finnegan thought her career in sports was over until she got a call from the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines asking if she was interested in representing them at the 2022 Southeast Asian Games.

Now, she represents the country at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

Apart from Finnegan, Filipino gymnast and Tatler Asia’s Most Influential 2022 lister Carlos Yulo also secured a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics by being the highest-ranked eligible athlete in an apparatus at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Antwerp, Belgium, in October last year. 

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) announced Yulo’s achievement on Facebook, celebrating his dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence.

Related: Young Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo is the Philippines’ first world champion

After securing a silver medal at the 2024 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup series, a door has opened for Filipino-American artistic gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

“I will forever cherish and remember this moment for the remainder of my life, and the bliss I feel in my soul is unmatched,” she posts on Instagram. “Here we come, Paris!”

As the first Filipino boxer to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Eumir Marcial is set on the gold. 

“Thank you for continuously believing in me, and I hope you can keep the support coming as we rally towards the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics,” Marcial posts on Instagram. 

Related: Philippine highlights from the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia

After qualifying on March 12 this year, Filipino boxer Aira Villegas makes her debut at Paris 2024. She will represent the country in the women’s flyweight 50-kilogramme competition.

She was the fifth Filipino athlete to score a ticket to the much-awaited games. 

The upcoming Olympic Games is another opportunity for Filipino boxer Nesthy Petecio to secure a gold medal, which she failed to do in the 2021 edition—garnering a silver at the women’s featherweight event. 

Qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics is a dream come true for Filipino weightlifter John Ceniza. 

After landing fourth place at the International Weightlifting Federation World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, he secured a spot in the Philippine delegation bound for Paris this year. 

Read more: Olympics 2024: How Mathieu Lehanneur designed the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris

While Olympic gold medalist Hidily Diaz lost another chance to compete in the Games, Filipino weightlifter Elreen Ando grabbed the opportunity instead. She booked a return trip to the Summer Games after a strong showing in the women’s 59kg event of the 2024 IWF World Cup.

“A thrilling win for Ando in the 59kg category,” says the Philippine Olympic Committee in a Facebook post. “Let’s give a round of applause to Hidilyn Diaz for her unwavering competitive spirit and sportsmanship. Mabuhay kayo!”

After placing fourth in the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Olympic Qualification Regatta - Women’s Single Sculls, Filipina athlete Joanie Delgaco officially qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics. She is the 12th Filipino overall to qualify so far and the first Filipina rowing Olympian in history.

Filipino weightlifter and Southeast Asian Games champion Vanessa Sarno landed a spot in the Philippine contingent on April 7, 2024. 

The 20-year-old continued to shine brightly, maintaining a commanding presence within the top 10 of the IWF Olympic Qualification Ranking after an impressive stint in the World Cup. 

After a 32-year drought, a Filipino fencer once again represents the country at the Olympic games. Samantha Catantan secured a spot with her dramatic 15-14 win over Kazakhstan’s Sofiya Aktayeva in the women’s foil final of the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

“No words can describe how grateful I am to everyone who prayed, supported and believed in me,” says Catantan. “This is for the Philippines and the Filipinos.”

Filipino-American gymnast Emma Malabuyo secured her spot in Paris 2024 by finishing third place at the Asian Gymnastics Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She is the highest-placing athlete who was eligible for the quota.

“I was so terrified to go for this Olympic dream one last time, but I was even more terrified of not trying at all,” she expresses in an Instagram post. “From four world cups: Cairo to Cottbus to Los Angeles to Baku to Doha, and finally in Tashkent at Asian Championships, I did it! What a dream come true! I have never fought for something so hard in my life.”

Another Filipino boxer earns a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics, this time in the form of one Carlo Paalam. He qualified after winning over Indian Sachin Siwach in the men’s 57kg division semifinals of the 2024 Boxing 2nd World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand on June 1. 

Boxing is indeed one of our country’s prides. Filipino athlete Hergie Bacyadan will make sure that she builds on this, after securing a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics with a quarterfinal unanimous win over Maryelis Yriza of Venezuela in the Women’s 75kg of the 2nd World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bacyadan is the fifth Filipino boxer set to compete in the upcoming games.

Filipina-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe secured a second consecutive Olympic stint, confirmed by Philippine Judo Federation president Ali Sulit on June 25. Rhe 27-year-old clinched one of the two continental quotas reserved for Asia, ranking 92nd in the world in the women’s -63kg category. 

Swimmer Kayla Sanchez will return to the Olympics, this time representing the Philippines. She will be competing in the women’s 100m freestyle. 

Did you know? A member of the Canadian national team until 2022, Sanchez has represented Canada at the Olympic and World Championship levels and is a two-time Olympic medalist.

The Philippine Olympic Committee hoped for more qualifiers, and their wishes were answered. Swimmer Jarod Hatch joins the roster. While fellow swimmer Kayla Sanchez will compete in the women’s 100-meter freestyle, Hatch will vie for the gold in the men’s 100 butterfly.

Bianca Pagdanganan is a professional golfer from the Philippines. She gained recognition for her strong performances in both collegiate and professional golf.

Pagdanganan played college golf at Gonzaga University and the University of Arizona, where she contributed to the Wildcats’ 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship win. She has been known for her long drives and has competed in various international tournaments, including the LPGA Tour.

This year, she earned another trip to the Olympics. She completed the 60-women field after making the Paris Games cut-off in the world rankings released on June 25.

Dottie Ardina has been active in both amateur and professional golf circuits, earning recognition for her skills and achievements. She has competed on various tours, including the Symetra Tour (now the Epson Tour) and the LPGA Tour, and has been known for her consistent performance and dedication to the sport.

Ardina reached the quadrennial showpiece for the first time after making the 60-woman cut-off for the Paris Games.

Lauren Hoffman is a professional hurdler specialising in the 400-meter hurdles. She has competed at various national and international events, showcasing her athletic abilities and dedication to track and field. Hoffman also holds the national record in the women’s 100m hurdles.

She earned her Paris Olympics spot via the world rankings in the women’s 400m hurdles on July 2. “It is such an honour to join my kababayan and represent the Philippines at the upcoming Olympic Games,” Hoffman says.

A Filipino athlete specialising in hurdling, John Cabang Tolentino made it to the Paris Olympics via the world rankings. Residing in Spain, he secured his spot by finishing 30th out of 40 qualifiers in the men’s 110m hurdles. This achievement came just a couple of months after he set the Philippine record in the same event.

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