Aleah Finnegan thought her Olympic dream was over, until she found a new path and a ticket to Paris 2024.
The switch from America to Philippines paid off for Finnegan as she is set to join fellow gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar in competing for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 later this month, competing in the women's individual all-around artistic gymnastics event.
It wasn't easy but it took a one major decision for the 21-year-old to turn a childhood dream into a reality, overcoming early setbacks to thrive as one of Philippine's up-and-coming gymnasts.
Let us recall the key moments leading to Finnegan’ journey to Paris 2024:
2016-2021 - The American Dream… and Nightmare
Finnegan started as a junior Olympic athlete for the United States in 2016, became a junior elite in 2018, before finally competing in senior gymnastic in 2019 where she blossomed and became one of the up-and-coming American gymnasts.
She became part of the women’s team that won gold in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, teaming up with Morgan Hurd, Kara Eaker, Riley McCusker, and Leanne Wong – all gold medalists in the world championships.
Finnegan quickly shifted focus on qualifying for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but that wasn’t meant to be– at least for now.
She failed to compete in the Olympic Trials, which served as the tryout for the US Gymnastics team that will compete in the Olympics, after lackluster performances in the GK U.S Classic and the U.S. National Gymnastics Championships back in 2021.
What happened next was a total shock for everyone.
June 12, 2021 - Say Ain’t So, Aleah
On this day, Finnegan opted to retire from elite gymnastics and instead decided to focus on her college career with Louisiana State University (LSU).
“I’m so blessed to be given the opportunity to represent the US and will cherish those experiences forever. The memories I’ve made, and the people I’ve met are truly life changing,” she said on a lengthy Instagram post.
Finnegan competed in the SEC Championships and other tournaments for LSU, with no hints of pursuing that dream of one day competing in the biggest sporting competition of the world.
Not until an opportunity knocks.
March 2022-April 2022 - Going Back to Her Roots
As one door closes, another one opens as Finnegan was given another opportunity to chase that Olympic dream.
But this time, it was in honor of her roots in the Philippines.
On why she switched federations, Aleah pointed out on repaying his Filipino mother, Linabelle.
"To get back to my mom who has made so many sacrifices, to represent the people I love," she said.
The Gymnastics Association of the Philippines then announced on April 19, 2022 that Finnegan will compete for the first time in the 22nd Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam later that month for Team Philippines that also includes Carlos Yulo among others.
May 2022- Sudden Impact
Despite the quick turnaround, Aleah made her presence felt quickly by copping four medals in total– two golds and two silvers- in the women’s artistic gymnastics campaign.
She led the Filipina crew of Lucia Gutierrez, Kursten Lopez, Charlie Manzano, Cristina Loberanes, and Chiara Andrews to a gold finish in the team all-around and added another gold in the vault event.
Finnegan also copped silver in the individual all-around and the balance beam events, helping the country as the country finished as the best performing nation in women’s artistic gymnastics.
A year later, another international opportunity arose.
June 2023- One Step Closer
Finnegan continued her impressive showing in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Singapore, taking home a couple of bronzes in the vault and balance beam as the Philippines placed second in the overall medal tally behind Japan.
She bannered the country to fifth place in the team competition and ended up in sixth place in the all-around event. She went on to earn a spot at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in October later that year.
Just two years removed from her initial retirement, Finnegan came back and now await a chance that eluded her back in 2021-- to compete for an Olympic spot.
October 2023 - Paris, Here She Comes
Finnegan waited for this chance ever since the 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships where she fell short of the Olympic trials.
She wouldn't be denied this time.
The Filipino-American punched a Paris 2024 ticket as one of the 14 highest-ranked eligible athletes in the women’s individual all-around qualification, finishing 32nd overall with 51.366 points.
"Since I was five years old, I was kind of calculating the age range where I would be qualified or old enough to be able to go to the Olympics, and I never thought it would be in 2024. But I’m so thankful it couldn’t have gone any other way,” Finnegan said.
She is set to become the first female gymnast from the Philippines to see action in the Olympics Games since Maria-Luisa Floro and Evelyn Magluyan competed in the 1964 edition in Tokyo, Japan.
Finnegan could have stayed retired, continued her LSU career overseas, and somehow accepted the fact that maybe, competing in the Olympics wasn't just on the cards.
Except she didn’t.
Somehow, Paris is always gonna be her destination but to get there, she needed to go back to her roots and take the chance. Fortunately, it paid off.
Story summary:
· Aleah Finnegan, originally a U.S. junior Olympic athlete, faced setbacks in her Olympic journey, failing to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and briefly retiring in 2021 to focus on her college career. In 2022, she decided to switch her allegiance to the Philippines, honoring her Filipino heritage and her mother's sacrifices.
· After switching federations, Finnegan quickly made a significant impact, winning multiple medals at the Southeast Asian Games in May 2022 and performing well in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in June 2023. These achievements positioned her as a key gymnast for the Philippines.
· In October 2023, Finnegan qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics by finishing among the top eligible athletes in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She will be the first female gymnast from the Philippines to compete in the Olympics since 1964, realizing her long-held dream through determination and embracing her roots.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]