Paris 2024 Olympian Levi Jung-Ruivivar inspired young athletes as she graced the First Madayaw Gymnastics Cup in Davao City, where she expressed hope for the future of gymnastics in Mindanao.
Ruivivar, who represented the Philippines in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics, led the oath of sportsmanship during the opening ceremony on August 23 at Ayala Malls Abreeza. She later awarded medals and trophies to the winners, posed for photos, and signed autographs for excited fans.
Speaking to reporters, Ruivivar said she was impressed by the skill and precision of the young gymnasts.
“It’s really important to have great form, execution, and technique because that paves the way to mastering higher-level skills,” she said. explained. She credited the coaches, training environment, and discipline of the athletes for their early progress.
She thanked the organizers for inviting her and said she was glad to witness the growth of grassroots gymnastics, especially in Davao.
Ruivivar reminded aspiring gymnasts that their drive must come from within.
“The power to pursue gymnastics comes from inside you. If you’re passionate about something, you can achieve anything,” she said, adding that athletes should welcome support from those around them since the journey is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding.
She also encouraged gymnasts to show their personality during performances.
Ruivivar noted that the connection with judges and the audience is what makes gymnastics not just technical but also artistic.
Ruivivar sees great potential in Davao’s gymnastics community and across the country. She called for better facilities, more qualified coaches, proper equipment, and transport support to keep the sport growing.
“Everyone here is talented, everyone here has beautiful lines. I was talking to someone and said that Filipinos across the board have the ideal body type for gymnastics. Strong legs, not super tall, which is actually a deal with gymnastics, beautiful lines, good artistry. Filipinos are great with dancing and performing, that is in our blood, in our culture,” she said.
Ruivivar said that with the right resources, Filipinos can shine in gymnastics. She noted that the sport has gained popularity not only in Manila but across the islands of the Philippines.
Around 200 young gymnasts from across the country joined the First Madayaw Gymnastics Cup. The event, hosted by the Davao City-based Davao Golden Twist Gymnastics Training Center and Metro Manila-based PGAA S.TY Gymnastics & Sports Center, brought together 14 of the biggest gymnastics clubs from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Davao Golden Twist said the Madayaw Cup set a new standard for gymnastics competitions in the Davao Region by introducing a live scoring system that instantly displayed athletes’ scores after each performance.
To ensure credibility, four nationally accredited judges from the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) officiated: Noel F. Flores, Dico Joe D. Lli, Jodel F. Gomba, and Jesfer Nell H. Perez.
“Building on the success of the inaugural competition, Davao Golden Twists is excited to stage a bigger and grander 2nd Madayaw Gymnastics Cup next year,” the group said in a statement. RGP