"I needed to use my EpiPen and I self-injected it"-Former American gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar suffers severe allergic reaction at Paris Olympics

Levi Jung-Ruivivar, who previously represented the United States in international competitions, experienced a serious allergic reaction ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ruivivar will compete for the Philippines in the women's gymnastics at the quadrennial Games.

The 18-year-old switched allegiance from the USA to the Philippines after gaining dual citizenship in 2022 as her father had grown up in the Southeast Asian country before moving to the USA as a young adult.

Ruivivar faced a huge setback before making her Olympic debut as she had a severe allergic reaction despite avoiding tree nuts or bites from bugs, which are her allergens. She shared the details on Instagram, stating:

“This Monday I was taking an evening walk when I began to have an anaphylactic reaction. I didn’t ingest tree nuts or suffer from a bug bite, but for some reason I suffered from a severe allergic reaction. When I got back to my room called my parents and got help from my roommate Aleah [Finnegan] to find the medical emergency clinic in the Village.”

She mentioned how the allergy affected her, stating:

“On the way to the treatment center my allergy symptoms escalated rapidly and my breathing became significantly labored, my throat began to constrict, my chest was itching, and I had severe swelling. It got to the point where I needed to use my EpiPen and I self-injected it on the way to the clinic.”

After arriving at the hospital and receiving assistance from her coach, teammate, and others, Levi Jung-Ruivivar overcame the reaction through proper medical attention. She also updated her followers in the same post that she was recovering well and would participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Levi Jung-Ruivivar’s road to the Paris Olympics 2024

Levi Jung-Ruivivar competes in the Uneven Bars routine during the women's senior division of the 2022 U.S. Classic. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Levi Jung-Ruivivar finished second on the uneven bars at the 2024 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, held from April 17 to 20, 2024. Her 62 points in the series on the uneven bars secured her a spot at the Paris Olympics.

Before representing the Philippines, she had competed at multiple domestic tournaments in the USA such as the U.S. National Championships, U.S. Classic, and the Winter Cup, and featured in international tournaments like the 2022 DTB Pokal Mixed Cup, the 2022 Szombathely World Challenge Cup, and the 2021 Junior Pan American Games.