Fil-Americans Aleah Finnegan and Kylee Kvamme inched closer to their ambitious bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics after earning berths to the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
The two gymnasts clinched world championships tickets following their performances in the individual all-around in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Singapore Friday, June 16. Finnegan, a double gold medalist in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games, finished seventh in the individual all-around with a total score of 50.399, while also advancing to the apparatus finals in vault, balance beam and floor exercise. She was four points behind Top 3 all-around qualifiers Qiu Qiyuan of China, who posted 54.932, and another Chinese in Zhang Qingying (53.965) and Korean Shin Solyi (53.499). The 20-year-old Finnegan also came in close second in vault with a 13.533 average behind top qualifier Yeo Seojeong of Korea (13.683), barely made it to the balance beam with a seventh-place ranking with 12.833 and finished eighth in floor exercise with 12.933. Kvamme, meanwhile, gained a spot to the worlds after finishing at 14th place in the all-around (48.765). She made the cut as one of the next best gymnasts since there were seven high-ranked gymnasts from China, Korea and Chinese Taipei who qualified to the worlds through the team event. Finnegan and Kvamme will join Carlos Yulo to the world championships in Antwerp, Belgium late September, which serves as a qualifier to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
*Aleah Finnegan performs in floor exercise during the qualifications in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Singapore Friday, June 16. (Linee Yeo)
*The two gymnasts clinched world championships tickets following their performances in the individual all-around in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Singapore Friday, June 16. Finnegan, a double gold medalist in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games, finished seventh in the individual all-around with a total score of 50.399, while also advancing to the apparatus finals in vault, balance beam and floor exercise. She was four points behind Top 3 all-around qualifiers Qiu Qiyuan of China, who posted 54.932, and another Chinese in Zhang Qingying (53.965) and Korean Shin Solyi (53.499). The 20-year-old Finnegan also came in close second in vault with a 13.533 average behind top qualifier Yeo Seojeong of Korea (13.683), barely made it to the balance beam with a seventh-place ranking with 12.833 and finished eighth in floor exercise with 12.933. Kvamme, meanwhile, gained a spot to the worlds after finishing at 14th place in the all-around (48.765). She made the cut as one of the next best gymnasts since there were seven high-ranked gymnasts from China, Korea and Chinese Taipei who qualified to the worlds through the team event. Finnegan and Kvamme will join Carlos Yulo to the world championships in Antwerp, Belgium late September, which serves as a qualifier to the 2024 Paris Olympics.