HANGZHOU—Two Filipino gymnasts were left standing in the 19th Asian Games after the men fell by the wayside one after the other Monday.
“We only have two female gymnasts left and they are both in the finals,” said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines Deputy Secretary-General Rowena Bautista Tuesday.
Kursten Rogue Lopez, who turns 18 in November, will vie in the individual all-around finals Wednesday at Huanglong Sports Centre Gymnasium beginning at 3 p.m.
Charlie Manzalo, also 17 who was into ballet before shifting to gymnastics, sees action in the vault finals on Thursday.
“We’re so happy they made it to the finals,” said Bautista of the two gymnasts, members of the gold medal-winning team in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi.
Miguel Besana and Justine Ace de Leon bowed out of contention but continued to train here.
“While they’re still here they keep on training,” Bautista said.
The country’s top gymnast, former world champion in vault and floor exercise Carlos Yulo, skipped Huangzhou for Antwerp for the world championships, a Paris Olympics qualifier.
