Pinay Olympic gymnasts, golfers welcomed in Malacañang after missing homecoming parade
The Filipina athletes who missed out on the homecoming events for Pinoy Olympians were welcomed in Malacañang for a meet and greet.
Golfer Dottie Ardina and gymnasts Levi Jung-Ruivivar, Emma Malabuyo, and Aleah Finnegan met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Aug. 22.
Bianca Pagdanganan, who finished fourth overall in the women's golf individual, was not present but recognized during the event. She is currently undergoing training overseas, Malacañang said.
The athletes were awarded a presidential citation for their achievement at the 2024 Paris Olympics and a P1 million check.
Ryan Baldemor/The Philippine STAR
Ryan Baldemor/The Philippine STAR
Ryan Baldemor/The Philippine STAR
Ryan Baldemor/The Philippine STAR
Ryan Baldemor/The Philippine STAR
Ryan Baldemor/The Philippine STAR
Ryan Baldemor/The Philippine STAR
Ryan Baldemor/The Philippine STAR
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As other Olympic athletes were welcomed with a reception at Malacañang Palace on Aug. 13 and a heroes' parade on Aug. 14, Finnegan and Malabuyo told social media users that they weren't informed about the festivities.
Ruivivar echoed this with a post on Aug. 19 saying she was also not informed about the parade.
Cynthia Carrion, the president of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP), later apologized to the three athletes and said that she was only informed about the event at the last minute.
On Aug. 21, Ruivivar shared on Instagram that she was meeting with Marcos Jr.
"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!" she captioned.
The gymnast also shared a photo with Finnegan and Malabuyo while they were at the palace.
At Paris 2024, Ruivivar placed 40th, Malabuyo 41st, and Finnegan 47th at the women's artistic gymnastics all-around.
Meanwhile, Ardina finished 13th and Pagdanganan placed 4th in women's golf.
A total of 22 athletes competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with gymnast Carlos Yulo taking home two gold medals and boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas bagging bronze, respectively.