Catch up with how our Filipino athletes made us proud at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games!
Related: Here Are All The Filipino Athletes Competing At The 2024 Paris Olympics
The Philippines sent in 22 athletes to compete at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, and they’re coming home making history as we record our most successful run at the Olympicsβon our 100th year of participation, no less! Carlos Yulo brings home two gold medals, while boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas each comes home with bronze medals. Despite the struggles, challenges, mishaps, and losses that have happened in the last two weeks, our athletes persevered and made the nation proud. Curious about how each Filipino Olympian fared? Check out our rundown below.
CARLOS YULO – GYMNASTICS
Twenty-four year old artistic gymnast Carlos Yulo becomes the most awarded Olympian of Team Philippines and the most successful Olympian representing the country of all time, coming home with two gold medals in the men’s floor exercise and vault gymnastic competitions.
NESTHY PETECIO – BOXING
Nesthy Petecio comes back and takes what’s hers in her second run at the Olympics! Having earned the silver medal in the women’s featherweight boxing competition in Tokyo 2020, Nesthy brings home another medal in the same event, this time in bronze.
AIRA VILLEGAS – BOXING
First-time Olympian Aira Villegas fought her way to a bronze medal at Paris 2024, getting on that podium in the women’s flyweight division of boxing and bringing home another medal to the Philippines.
EJ OBIENA – POLE VAULT
Struggling through a back injury and coming back for his second Olympic stint, pole vaulter and popular bet EJ Obiena gave his all at the Olympics, and showed remarkable grace throughout it all. Though he was disappointed with his 4th place finish at the men’s pole vault competition, EJ did nothing but make the nation very proud.
JOHN CABANG TOLENTINO – TRACK & FIELD
Track and field representative athlete in hurdles and sprinter John Cabang Tolentino was unable to compete in the men’s 110-m hurdles as he had to withdraw due to an injury on his hip adductors.
LAUREN HOFFMAN – TRACK & FIELD
Fil-Am athlete Lauren Hoffman remained grateful after her Olympic run. She ranked 7th in the third heat of the repechage round of the women’s 400-m hurdles, though unable to make it to the semi-finals of the event.
EUMIR MARICAL – BOXING
Eumir Marcial brought home a bronze medal in the men’s boxing middleweight division at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This year, the boxer competed in the men’s light heavyweight division, and was felled in the Round of 16 elimination by Turabek Khabibullaev of Uzbekistan.
CARLO PAALAM – BOXING
Another boxer in the list of Filipino Olympic medalists is Carlo Paalam, who won silver in the men’s flyweight division in Tokyo 2020. This year, unfortunately, Carlo did not advance to the semifinals as he was defeated by Australia’s Charlie Senior in the previous round, losing by a split decision.
HERGIE BACYADAN – BOXING
Hergie Bacyadan’s first stint at the Olympics has been pretty memorable despite the boxer’s defeat in the Round of 32 at the women’s middleweight division. A transman fighting in the women’s boxing division is the sort of barrier-breaking moment that fosters relevant conversation and highlights the need for respect and understanding.
ALEAH FINNEGAN – GYMNASTICS
Along with two others, former Team USA member and gymnast Aleah Finnegan is one of the first female gymnasts to represent the Philippines in 60 years. The 21-year old and first-time Olympian did not advance to the finals, and her vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise scores got her to rank 47 at the women’s gymnastics competition.
LEVI JUNG-RUIVIVAR – GYMNASTICS
Coming off an unfortunate, severe allergic reaction to tree nuts in Paris, 18-year old Filipino-American artistic gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar capped her first Olympic run at rank 40 in the women’s all-around gymnastic event.
EMMA MALABUYO – GYMNASTICS
Gymnast Emma Malabuyo was a former USA National Team member and alternate for the Olympic team that chose to represent the Philippines at Paris 2024. She ranked 41st in the qualification round for the women’s all-around event and unfortunately did not make it to the finals.
JOANIE DELGACO – ROWING
The first ever female Philippine representative for rowing, Joanie Delgaco put up a good fight, and ultimately ended at rank 20 in the women’s single sculls event.
SAM CATANTAN – FENCING
Samantha Catantan braved through an ACL tear to get to Paris, and made the nation proud as the first fencer to compete in the Olympics since 1992. The 22-year old Sam competed in the women’s foil competition, making it to the Round of 32 before being beaten by Italy’s Arriana Errigo.
VANESSA SARNO – WEIGHTLIFTING
Twenty-year old weightlifter Vanessa Sarno had hopes to continue the streak started by Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, but was unable to lift 100kg in the women’s -71 kg competition and did not advance. She cited a toxic training environment and not being allowed to train with her longtime coach as detriments to her mental health and performance.
ELREEN ANDO – WEIGHTLIFTING
After a 7th place finish at Tokyo 2020, weightlifter Elreen Ando came back strong to Paris 2024, setting new personal bests and finishing 6th in the women’s -59 kg division after being able to lift 100 and 130 kgs in total.
JOHN CENIZA – WEIGHTLIFTING
Recovering from a shoulder injury, John Ceniza was unable to lift 125kg in the men’s -61kg category after three attempts.
BIANCA PAGDANGANAN – GOLF
Bianca Pagdanganan came up strong as she made her Olympic debut, finishing a great run with fourth place at the women’s golf event despite all the logistical issues regarding the golfers’ ensembles. Bianca, along with fellow golfer Dottie Ardina, competed without their official uniforms and gear and had to make do with their own shirts and a patch of the Philippine flag.
DOTTIE ARDINA – GOLF
Veteran golfer Dottie Ardina made her official debut on the Olympic stage and finished rank 13 in the women’s golf event.
KIYOMI WATANABE – JUDO
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— Philippine Sports Commission (@psc_gov) July 30, 2024
You did your best, Kiyomi Watanabe! You have shown a great deal of your determination and grace in your Olympic journey, and for that, you did your country proud. pic.twitter.com/nCBByFzEHC
Filipino-Japanese Kiyomi Watanabe is a judoka who also competed in Tokyo 2020 and made her comeback at Paris 2024. On both campaigns, the athlete was unable to make it to the Round of 16 stage, finishing in the Round of 32 in the women’s -63kg competition.
KAYLA SANCHEZ – SWIMMING
Twenty-three year old Filipino-Canadian Kayla Sanchezβwho already has two Olympic medals of her own as part of the Canadian swim team competing in Tokyo 2020βchose to represent the Philippines at this year’s Games, and swam her way to 15th place at the women’s 100m freestyle event.
JAROD HATCH – SWIMMING
Having been a part of the Philippine national swim team in 2018, Filipino-American swimmer Jarod Hatch qualified for the Olympics for the first time this year and swam his way to 36th place at the men’s 100m butterfly.
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