Yulo has eye fixed on 2024 Olympics gold

Carlos Edriel Yulo —AFP FILE PHOTO

Carlos Edriel Yulo felt disappointed after winding up without a gold medal during the 51st FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Liverpool, England.

Though Yulo has vowed to make amends in the next edition of the worlds next year in Antwerp, Belgium, the Filipino gymnastics ace would rather have an Olympic gold on his hands.

“It doesn’t matter if I don’t win a gold in the world championships. My goal is to get that gold in the Olympics,’’ said Yulo, who was recognized as the country’s top gymnast in an awarding ceremony organized by KG Management and the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) on Friday night.

The Japan-based Yulo will have several chances to pick up a ticket to the Paris Olympics in 2024—the 2023 Antwerp tournament in October 2023 and the four tournaments in the 2024 World Cup Series, among them.

He can likewise earn an Olympic berth through the 2024 Asian championships. Yulo is the reigning Asian champion in the floor exercise, vault and parallel bars.“My mindset is not to rush things. It’s difficult not to think about all these tournaments and the preparations that I have to go through, but I will take my time in every competition. I will compete the way I want to perform,’’ said Yulo.

The 22-year-old, 4-foot-11 fireball claimed the silver medal in the vault and a bronze medal in the parallel bars during the Liverpool world championships.

He failed to defend his title in the vault, which he ruled in the 2021 edition in Kitakyushu, Japan. Yulo also was a silver medalist in the parallel bars in that event.

But if there’s one thing that excites the wunderkind from Leveriza, Manila, it’s the fact that he’s now ranked eighth in the all-around event globally.

“I have to be more confident next year. I will focus more and push it harder in training,’’ said Yulo, who thanked GAP president Cynthia Carrion, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee and the MVP Sports Foundation for their support.

Filipino-American Aleah Finnegan was also recognized in the ceremony held at the Heritage Hotel after a double-gold performance in the Southeast Asian Games and for leading the national women’s artistic gymnastics squad to a pair of silver medals.

Munehiro Kugimiya, Yulo’s Japanese coach, was also named one of the top awardees together with Miguel Besana (men’s artistic gymnastics), Carl Joshua Tangonan (men’s aerobics), Charmaine Dolar (women’s aerobics) and Breana Labadan (rhythmic gymnastics).