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Despite Quitting Team USA, Star Gymnast Takes Olivia Dunne and Shaquille O’Neal’s Over $600 Million Institution to New Height at World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2023

Published 09/30/2023, 7:28 AM EDT

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The aftermath of the USA Gymnastics’s world championship team selection camp witnessed captivating performances and tough decisions. Team USA faced a significant setback with the departure of three talented gymnasts. It includes – Levi Jung-Ruivivar, Aleah Finnegan, & Emma Malabuyo. All these fresh names have recently made the unexpected move to represent the Philippines. 

Among them, LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan has emerged as a standout athlete. The over $600 Million Institution, known for producing top-tier sports personalities like famous Basketball player, Shaquille O’Neil, and America’s evergreen crush, Olivia Dunne, continues to be a breeding ground for excellence in the sports world. Despite the shift to the Philippines team, the LSU athlete Finnegan continues to harness her skills. A recent update on her via Twitter has added her competitors to the dust. 

LSU gymnasts in a new Twitter update making waves

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On September 29, 2023, Gymnastics shared an exclusive video on Twitter, featuring Finnegan’s dynamic moves with the caption, “The one and only Aleah Finnegan (PHI) repping @LSUgym on the world stage! #Antwerp2023 #NCAAgym.” Finnegan’s approach to competition involves a focus on clean and solid routines rather than an extravagant display of her skills.

She is clear with her switch of teams and more cautious about upcoming championships. I’m really just kind of dialing in on the details because I have the skills, I know what I have, I know what works and what doesn’t,” added Finnegan in a conversation with Olympics.com. Nonetheless, her talent speaks volumes. However, fans are curious to know the reason behind the recent switch of a 20-year-old American gymnast to the Philippines team.

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Why did Aleah Finnegan, the gymnastics star quit Team USA?

Aleah Finnegan’s transition from being content with her elite gymnastics career to representing the Philippines is a tale of unexpected turns. Following what she believed would be her final elite competition in 2021, Finnegan shifted her focus to collegiate gymnastics at LSU. 

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Linabelle, Finnegan’s mother, is a native of the Philippines. Along similar lines, her elder sister, Hannah, proudly represented the island nation at the SEA Games more than ten years ago. Initially, Finnegan was unsure about joining and taking herself in elite gymnastics. However, an unexpected call from the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines changed the course of her career.

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The decision paid off remarkably to Finnegan and helped her in securing four medals. It includes team & vault golds, and a silver in the all-around & balance beam events. In essence, Finnegan’s journey reflects the hard work and adaptability of an athlete who seized an unexpected opportunity. It propelled her to new heights on the world gymnastics stage. As the Artistic championship knocks on the door in a few hours fans are eager to see the gymnast nailing the floors.

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Written by:

Harshita Chawla

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Harshita Chawla is a US Sports writer at Essentially Sports. Having contributed to college magazine as a sports writer, she comes with a staunch knowledge in content creation for the sports industry. Along with this, Harshita is a huge fan of Gymnastics queen Simone Biles and has a penchant for writing about her favorite athlete.
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Edited by:

BHUJAYA RAY CHOWDHURY