Levi Ruivivar broke her silence regarding her absence from the Parade for Olympians last August 14 in Manila.
Along with fellow gymnasts Aleah Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo, Ruivivar was notably missing from the celebration, which was attended by several other Filipino Olympians.
On Monday, Ruivivar issued a statement explaining the reason behind her absence, citing that she was not informed about the event.
“I wanted to come on here and address the questions regarding my absence at the Heroes event in the Philippines,” Ruivivar said in her statement.
“I truly wish from the bottom of my heart that I could have attended and been part of this event, but unfortunately, I was never informed that I was invited or presented with the opportunity to go.”
Ruivivar revealed that she had reached out to Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion after hearing from a member of the Olympic delegation about an event in Manila to meet President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
(C) Levi Ruivivar
However, she was told that the event was exclusively for medalists, including Carlos Yulo and the two boxing bronze medalists. Despite inquiring further, Ruivivar did not receive any additional information.
“I responded inquiring if that was in fact correct because I had heard all Olympians were invited. I never received a response or any further information. And I still haven’t had any communication about it,” she shared.
“The following week I was surprised when I saw all Filipino Olympians, except for me, Aleah, and Emma in Manila participating in a meeting with President Bongbong Marcos and participating in a parade. I was really hurt considering this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I missed out on.”
Ruivivar, who represented the Philippines in the recently concluded Olympic Games Paris 2024, finished 40th in the all-around qualifications.
Fellow gymnasts Malabuyo and Finnegan placed 41st and 47th, respectively.
Despite their Olympic campaign, the trio was absent from the parade celebrating Filipino athletes’ achievements.
“I wanted to be part of the celebration with my fellow Olympians and to share in the excitement of the success of this Olympics with my country, the Philippines. I truly wish I could have gone considering I have sacrificed endlessly to perform for my country and to make everyone proud,” Ruivivar expressed.
The gymnast also emphasized that she had no current obligations in the United States that would have prevented her from attending the event.
“I have no current obligations in the States, before I head to Stanford early September, there was nothing prohibiting me from attending this extraordinary event.”
Despite the disappointment, Ruivivar expressed her gratitude for the support she has received and her commitment to continue representing the Philippines.
“I want to let everyone know that I am so incredibly grateful for the support, the love, and the Pinoy pride. I am truly excited to continue competing for the Philippines, and I look forward to taking every opportunity to come to the Philippines and hopefully inspire the new generation of Filipina gymnasts that are the future.”
Meanwhile, Finnegan and Malabuyo have remained active in the Philippines. The two gymnasts held a free gymnastics clinic last Saturday in Manila, sharing their knowledge and skills with aspiring gymnasts.
Additionally, Finnegan was a muse for Meralco during the PBA Season 49 opening ceremony on Sunday
