Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., right, meets Olympic double gold medalist in gymnastics, Carlos Yulo during a welcome ceremony at the Malcañang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe, Pool)
MANILA, Philippines—Carlos Yulo’s coach Allen Castañeda hopes the Filipino dynamo’s historic triumph in the Paris Olympics 2024 leads to more support for the sport of gymnastics in the country.
Yulo led the Philippine delegation’s arrival in Manila on Tuesday fresh off a medal haul of two golds and a pair of bronzes in France.
“It makes a huge impact. Maybe gymnastics will be more prioritized now. We expect to gain more support for us [in gymnastics],” said Castañeda, who thanked the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (Gap), in Filipino.
READ: Team Philippines arrives home after historic Paris Olympics run
After a disappointing Olympic debut in Tokyo three years ago, much was expected from Yulo to bounce back.
Yulo, one of four Filipino gymnasts who qualified for the Paris Games, made sure to redeem himself with an unforgettable campaign in Paris.
The 24-year-old Yulo reminded everyone of his world-class stature with a gold in floor exercise then cemented his legacy with another masterful victory in vault.
READ: Carlos Yulo’s Olympic gold haul caps decade of struggle
Yulo’s unprecedented success earned him millions worth of incentives with the cash windfall expected to increase as more private companies pitch in to reward the Philippines’ most decorated Olympian.
The celebration is ongoing but the hard work continues in the coming months.
“We’re in our offseason for now and then maybe in one to two months, we’ll go back to work.”