Aleah Finnegan proud to carry PHL colors at Paris Olympics

Filipino-American gymnast Aleah Finnegan will proudly carry the Philippine colors when she makes her Olympic debut in the Paris Games.

Finnegan is one of the four gymnasts who will represent the country in the Summer Games. She will join fellow Fil-Ams Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar in the women’s artistic gymnastics events while Carlos Yulo will represent the flag in the men’s division. They hope to bring the Philippines’ first Olympic medal for the sport.

The LSU (Louisiana State University) legend came from a family of gymnasts. Her sister Sarah was an alternate for the US Team back in the 2012 Olympics while her other sister Hannah represented the Philippines in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

Aleah also represented the US Team in the 2019 Pan American Games where she won a gold medal.

Who is Alean Finnegan?

Finnegan might have a lot of success in the gymnastics world but there were obstacles that she also faced along the way.

She underwent surgery for a navicular bone injury in 2020 after the Tokyo Olympics original schedule was postponed. She eventually tried to compete for a slot in the Olympics trials but was not selected. The Fil-Am gymnast also retired from elite gymnastics in 2021, and decided to continue her career in LSU.

Then, opportunities knock upon her door and it opens a lot of success for her.

When she switched federations in 2022 and decided to represent the Philippines, she immediately earned success and made an impact by winning a gold medal in the team event and vault of the Southeast Asian Games held in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Then in 2023, Finnegan competed in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships where she finished 32nd in the the women’s all-around event which allowed her to be eligible for a slot to the Olympics making her the first Filipina gymnast to qualify in the Paris Games.