Emma Malabuyo's second life in elite gymnastics: "I'm actually still in this. I'm in the game."
Her return to elite competition last year, representing the Philippines at the Asian Championships, fueled her desire to give it her all to make it to the Games
Artistic Gymnastics
After serving as U.S. gymnastics team alternate at the Tokyo 2020 Games and going off to join the women’s gymnastics team at the University of California at Los Angeles, Emma Malabuyo thought she had closed the door on her dream of competing at an Olympic Games.
But after an offer to represent the Philippines, where her grandparents were born, last year at the Asian Championships in Singapore has her chasing a trip to the Games once again.
“Competing at the Asian Championships, it kind of sort of ignited this fire inside of me of competing elite and going after my Olympic dream,” Malabuyo told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview. “I had so much fun, and it almost felt like, oh, I’m doing both things that I enjoy. I had the support and love from the Philippines, my family, and also gymnastics. I got the best of both worlds.”
Malabuyo’s path to the Olympic Games won’t be easy.
She’ll be in the midst of her junior season at UCLA – a demanding 14 week run of competitions – as she competes at three World Cup competitions in Cairo, Egypt; Cottbus, Germany; and Baku, Azerbaijan.
At the World Cups, where she plans to compete on the balance beam and floor exercise, she’ll need to earn enough points through her placements to end in the top two in one of the event standings after the circuit concludes.
Nevertheless, Malabuyo is going for it, encouraged by results especially on the floor exercise in Singapore last June.
“[My college floor routine] actually got a pretty good score for a college routine,” said Malabuyo. “After competing and kind of just seeing how I did, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m actually still in this, I’m in the game.”
Balancing act
This week marks the start of Malabuyo’s whirlwind month. She’ll first attend the World Cup in Cairo 15-18 February followed by the World Cup in Cottbus, Germany, 22-25 February.
The 21-year-old will come back to the U.S. briefly to compete in a dual meet between her UCLA Bruins and Stanford University on 1 March.
After that, she’ll hit the road again for one last World Cup appearance when the circuit heads to Baku, Azerbaijan, 7-10 March.
“I think wild is the only way to describe that schedule,” said UCLA head coach Janelle McDonald. “Our conversation was just really about making sure she’s feeling good and in the right headspace when she’s training and competing and things like that to make sure she’s taking care of herself like she needs to, to be able to stay as healthy as possible, but also, have the energy she needs to really be at her best.”
“I think I can handle it. I’ve had a lot of experience. I’m just mainly very excited for this opportunity,” says Malabuyo.
For McDonald’s eighth-ranked UCLA Bruins, Malabuyo’s absence – she’s been a leading contributor on three events all season long – provides opportunity and challenge.
“It’s hard that she’s going to be gone,” admits the second-year head coach. “We’re absolutely going to miss having her. Not just her gymnastics, but also her energy that she brings to the team every day. We’re going to get to test our depth while she’s gone.”
Still, McDonald says she has no reservations.
“I want every single person on my team to be able to always say that, ‘I was given every opportunity to chase my dreams and become the best that I can be,’” said McDonald. “I really think that this is what it looks like for Emma.”
Taking ownership, creating a game plan
Malabuyo’s second life in elite gymnastics feels different than her first, she admits.
“I would say just being older, I have a lot more ownership of my training, the skills that I’m doing, the routines that I want to perform,” explained Malabuyo. “Because of that, I’m also really enjoying training, as well.”
Coach McDonald says she’s seen it in the gym, as well.
“She’s very intentional about what she’s doing,” says McDonald. “She’s really intentional to get her NCAA routines locked down and completed so she has time to be able to train her elite skills and the different things that she’s going to switch up for the elite competitions.”
At first, those changes will be minimal, Malabuyo told Olympics.com.
“I think I’m going to be sticking to the same routines that I’m doing in college just because they’re super clean. As I started training more of these [elite] skills, my body is hurting a lot more,” she said. “I’m like, ‘Maybe, I need to pace myself,’ but maybe in the third World Cup, I can throw a double layout or something.”
No matter the outcome, Malabuyo is relishing the opportunity.
“Just having that support from my family and representing the Philippines just means so much to me,” she said. “I think also the representation of my culture, that really mattered a lot to me.”
And who knows? If things don’t work out, maybe the California-native will take aim at a hometown Games in 2028.
“I don’t want to close that door yet just because it’s in LA,” Malabuyo said shyly. “I think that would be such a cool experience, and I don’t know… we’ll just see what the future holds.”