BREANNA LABADAN flashed the form gained from her training in Europe to stay in contention after the individual all-around qualifiers at the start Wednesday of the 14th Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Labadan tallied 56.70 points after the hoop and ball events to place seventh overall in the competition organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
A bronze medalist in last year’s 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, Labadan, 16, scored 28.50 and 28.20 in hoops and ball, respectively. She will still compete in the clubs and ribbon events.
Daniela de la Pisa, a cancer survivor, meanwhile, couldn’t flash to the hilt the form and grace that won her gold at the 30th SEA Games the country hosted in 2019 and ran 33rd in ball with 23.15 points. She skipped the hoops.
“As long as she competes in three events in the qualifiers and finishes among the top 18, Daniela can still compete in the finals,” said GAP president Cynthia Carrion Norton.
Competition manager Anna Carreon also said that De la Pisa remains still eligible for the all-around finals with her chances hinging in clubs and ribbons that are on tap Thursday.
Trisha Mae Montifalcon, the only other Filipino seniors entry on Wednesday, scored 20.15 points in her one and only event, hoops, and ranked 29th.
Uzbekistan’s Takhmina Ikromova was first in the hoops and ball with identical scores of 33.70 points each for a front-running total output of 67.40 points.
Kazakhstan’s Elzhana Tanizyeva (65.10) and Aibota Yertkayzy (62.50) trailed the Uzbek.
During the colorful opening ceremony graced by PSC chairman Richard Bachmann, Asian Gymnastics Union president Ali Al-Hitmi of Qatar and Carrion Norton welcomed the more than 200 athletes from 20 countries competing in the four-day event during the opening ceremony.
Carrion Norton said the continents’ best are competing in the event which is a qualifier for the world championships in August in Valencia, Spain.
Image credits: Roy Domingo
