Lee’s Summit gymnast Aleah Finnegan represents Philippines in 2024 Paris Olympics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Aleah Finnegan, an American-Filipina gymnast from Lee’s Summit, wasn’t focused on elite gymnastics until she got a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Now, after a short break from professional gymnastics, Finnegan is set to become the first female gymnast from the Philippines to compete at the Olympic level in 60 years.

In 2021, she announced her retirement from elite gymnastics after failing to qualify for the U.S. squad in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. However, Finnegan didn’t stop competing in the sport and shifted her focus to the NCAA, where she continues to excel in gymnastics at Louisiana State University.

She returned to elite gymnastics in an international competition at the 2021 South East Asian Games, which took place in May 2022, this time representing the Philippines.

Finnegan was eligible to represent the country because of her mother, who was born and raised in the Philippines, according to olympics.com.

In May 2022, the International Gymnastics Federation approved Finnegan’s nationality change .

At the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Finnegan secured a quota spot for the Paris Olympics, making her the first female Filipina gymnast to compete at the Olympic Games in 60 years.

While training in the U.S., Finnegan trained at the GAGE Gymnastics Center in Blue Springs and attended school at Summit Christian Academy in Lee’s Summit.

Starting Sunday at Bercy Arena in France, Finnegan, along with her Filipino teammates Levi Jung-Ruivivar, Emma Malabuyo and Carlos Yulo, will have a chance to bring home some medals.

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