Malabuyo new toast of Asian gymnastics

MANILA, Philippines — Paris Olympics-bound Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar hinted at their readiness to aim for what has never been done before by any Filipino in gymnastics in the quadrennial Games – snare a medal.

It was evident in Malabuyo’s golden effort in the women’s floor exercise and Jung-Ruivivar’s bronze-clinching performance in the uneven bars in the Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan Sunday night.

Malabuyo was electric on the mat as she amassed 13.300 points, besting Chinese Chen Xinyi and Kazakh Aida Bauyrzhanova, who settled for the silver and bronze with a 13.133 and 13.066, respectively.

The feat surpassed Malabuyo’s silver showing a year ago in Singapore.

And it was Malabuyo’s second medal in the Tashkent meet after copping the individual all-around bronze and punching an Olympic ticket a few days ago.

For Jung-Ruivivar, the bronze was her first in the Asian meet.

She had 13.100 points and was behind China’s Yang Fanyuwei, who had 13.566 for the silver, and North Korea’s Jon Jang Mi, who had 13.366 for the bronze.