A very busy 2024 awaits Filipino-American gymnast Aleah Finnegan as she prepares for her Paris Olympics debut.
Finnegan capped her stellar campaign this year by clinching a spot in the Summer Games to join Carlos Yulo.
The Hanoi Southeast Asian Games double-gold medalist claimed a Paris ticket after placing 32nd place in the 2023 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium last October.
Finnegan now eyes using her campaign in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association for Louisiana State University early next year as part of her preparation for her trip to the French capital.
“I have my collegiate season coming up. It lasts from January to April so every Friday, I will play. The skill load is not as high as when competing for the Philippines in an international competition however the competitions every week itself will prepare me,” Finnegan, the first Filipina gymnast in the Olympics since Evelyn Magluyan and Maria-Luisa Floro in the 1964 Tokyo Games, said.
“Postseason, I’m not sure if I’m going to join an international competition. I just want to try things out by myself and see what clicks. But in the meantime, everything goes through my season until April, and then on, it’s straight training until Paris,” she added.
The 20-year-old gymnast this year plucked a silver medal for her school in the floor exercise.
Her stint with the Tigers was highlighted by career-best four perfect 10.0 scores. Finnegan got two in floor exercise and one each in balance beam and vault.
The Paris Olympics will run from 26 July to 11 August.
