Despite the hometown cheers and the global spotlight, Filipina gymnasts Elizabeth Antone, Maxine Bondoc, and Jellian Bantilan gave their all but fell short at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships late Friday night.
With a predominantly Filipino crowd cheering them on at the Manila Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom in Newport World Resorts, Pasay City, all three gymnasts appeared jittery, unable to perform at their best and advance past the team and individual all-around qualifiers.
Even Antone, an all-around bronze medalist at the Asian Junior Championships in Jecheon, South Korea, last June, struggled to find her rhythm, finishing 37th with a total of 47.632 points in the competition supported by the Office of the President, Philippine Sports Commission, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
The Fil-Am athlete scored 12.600 in vault, 11.366 on the uneven bars, 11.533 on balance beam, and 12.133 in floor exercises. Only the top 24 qualifiers advanced to the individual all-around finals, which were held on Saturday.
The next-best Filipino performer was Bondoc, who placed 91st with 41.299 points, while Bantilan finished 107th with 39.199 points. The event was also supported by Smart/PLDT, Milo, Pocari Sweat, Senator Pia Cayetano, and Cignal TV as the official broadcaster.
“I am disappointed a little bit and I know that I could have done better. I just want to improve for next time,” said Antone, adding, “Compared to the Asian juniors in Korea, this was compressed a little bit, a different arena.”
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The youngest competitor at 13, Bondoc fell twice on the uneven bars, earning her lowest score of 8.933 points, and broke down in the arms of reserve teammate Sabina Tayag.
Yet, shrugging off her struggles, Bondoc smiled at the mixed zone interview, saying, “I was really nervous because this is something that I really worked hard for. If I do my routines right, I know I can do really well.”
Tayag empathized with her teammate, saying, “She (Bondoc) has been really working very hard, so making a mistake like that can be very dispiriting. So I showed her I cared.”
Paris Olympic Games veteran Emma Malabuyo, who served as a broadcast analyst, understood the challenges faced by the junior gymnasts competing in the tournament, also backed by Senator Pia Cayetano, Philippine Airlines as the official carrier, and Saint Luke’s Hospital as the official medical services provider.
“One of my favorite quotes is ‘to keep on swimming,’ and even though you’ve made mistakes, it’s not the end of the world. It’s all for gaining experience and learning to handle the pressure a little bit better,” Malabuyo said.
“It just means to go back in the gym and work a little bit more.”
