A Recap of The Olympic Games for Filipinos in DFW

The Philippines earns its first gold medal at the conclusion of its 100th year of Olympic competition.

By André Averion, Communications Manager

Published August 14th, 2024.

The 2024 summer Olympics in Paris came to a close Aug. 11 after over two weeks of international competition, several athletes from the Philippines and DFW have the community celebrating the games. 

During this year’s games The Philippines arrived in 37th place with two gold medals from Carlos Yulo, making for the first male gold medalist in Philippines history, and two bronze boxing medals from Aria Villegas and Nesthy Petecio. Of special note, gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar, who has traditionally represented the United States, represented the Philippines at the Olympic Games after two years of training in Plano. 

Making international headlines and national history, Yulo returned home to Manila Aug. 14 to thousands of Filipino supporters after winning a gold medal in floor exercises and one in valuting Aug. 3, making him the first Filipino to win multiple gold medals. His success has earned him a large cash price of 6 million Philippine pesos and a three-bedroom unit in Taguig City, Philippines, valued at 35 million Philippine pesos.  

On Aug. 4 Villegas and Petecio both won bronze in their respective weight class. In the early morning Villegas made a narrow victory against France's Wassila Lkhadiri in the flyweight division quarterfinals. Meanwhile Petecio, former silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, defeated Columbia’s Yeni Arias in the featherweight quarterfinals, guaranteeing at least a bronze medal before being taken down by Poland's Julia Szeremeta in the semifinals. 

Although Jung-Ruiviar did not win a medal in this year’s main event, she did score bronze at the 2024 Asian Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which was the qualification event for this year’s Olympics, making her the youngest gymnast to represent the Philippines. Prior to the event, she did nearly two years of training at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano, Texas. 

The conclusion of the Olympics marks the 100th anniversary of the Philippines competing in the summer games, where they made their debut as the first Southeast Asian country to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics. 

Filipino athletes aren’t the only ones representing pride in the community. From Team USA, which placed first in the Olympics, there are 12 athletes from DFW, with one olympic athlete to come to Fort Worth later this year. 

Coming from the north DFW area are six athletes. Southlake resident Sam Watson set a new world record for speed climbing, completing a 49-foot tall route in 4.74 seconds, earning a bronze medal because of a stumble in the semifinals. Frisco resident and professional soccer player for the San Diego Wave FC, Jaedyn Shaw won gold, after previously being a player for FC Dallas. Gymnast Hezly Riviera’s, a resident at Plano and the youngest athlete on Team USA, was a part of the team that won gold in the women's artistic team all-around. Ranked number one in doubles by the Association of Tennis Professionals in 2023, Allen resident Austin Krajicek won silver in the men’s tennis doubles. Coppell resident Chiaka Ogbogu won a silver medal in volleyball. Artistic gymnast Asher Hong, a current resident in Plano came home with bronze in the team final. 

From Dallas came three athletes. National champion Nic Fink won a gold medal and two silvers in competitive swimming. US national champion of track and field sprinting Sha'Carri Rcihardson won a gold and silver medal. Ranked number one in the world for professional golf, Scottie Scheffler came home with a gold medal.

From the Fort Worth area came two athletes, both competing in sport shooting. Vincent Hancock, residing in Argyle came home with a gold medal in men’s skeets and silver in mixed skeet, adding to his collection as one of the most decorated marksmen in the sport. Meanwhile, winning bronze in women’s skeet and silver in mixed skeet alongside Hancock, Austen Smith comes from Keller, Texas. 

From south DFW as a Mansfield resident, Jasmine Moore scored two bronze in women’s triple jump and women’s long jump. 

Hailey Van Lith, who won bronze in the women’s 3x3 basketball, will be joining DFW this coming basketball season for the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.