Apologetic Yulo sets sights on vault, parallel bars golds

Coming in prepared to the fullest, Carlos Yulo had one stumble in his floor exercise routine that not even countless hours of training could correct.

The Filipino dynamo’s hopes of reclaiming the gold medal of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Liverpool, England, were dashed by a small error which Yulo said “was like a chain,” as his chances to medal in the 51st edition of the global meet was pruned down to two events.

“[My routine] was affected by my first tumble, and then it is like a chain, you can’t stop it,’’ said Yulo after scoring 13.300 to finish a badly-beaten seventh in the floor finals.

“I didn’t kick like I did in practice. It was a bit too soft. I felt I couldn’t make it, but I tried to correct it in the landing,’’ said Yulo. “I am really disappointed, obviously. Yesterday was okay, I hit it [in the all-around]. But today I had a feeling that I lost it myself.’’

Giarnni Regini-Moran of Great Britain ruled the event with 14.533 points and Japanese Hashimoto Daiki claimed the silver with 14.500 points a day after the Olympic champion asserted his mastery in the men’s all-around.

Ryosuke Doi, also of Japan, clinched the bronze with a 14.266 performance.

Yulo is now setting his sights in the vault and parallel bars finals, where the 4-foot-11 from Leveriza in Manila is the reigning champion in the vault and got a silver medal in the parallel bars last year in the worlds held in Kitakyushu, Japan.

“I feel a bit down because of what happened today, but I’m going to review what I did and build my motivation again,’’ said Yulo, who finished eighth in the men’s all-around on Saturday.

Yulo placed second in vault qualifying and fourth in the parallel bars classification.

“There are a lot of areas where I can still improve on,” Yulo said.

“I am sorry that I lost, but maybe I will gain experience from here despite my performance. I want to come back stronger next year.” INQ

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