Yulo begs off Asiad stint to take part in Paris qualifying

Carlos Edriel Yulo–AFP

Team Philippines will have one less gold medal hope in the Asian Games (Asiad) in China later this year, with gymnastics ace Carlos Edriel Yulo electing to sit out the meet to see action in a qualifier for the Paris Olympics next year.

It is seen as a logical move not only for Yulo, but also for the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) to be able to tap several others in the national pool to go for gold in the Asiad slated Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.

Yulo, however, will see action in the Cambodia Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in May where he is expected to dominate, before participating in the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championship in Antwerp, Belgium, the Olympiad qualifier which will run smack with the Asiad.

The artistic worlds will run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 10.

Yulo, the Manila native who trains in Japan year-round, would have been a solid favorite in China after going away with golds in the floor, vault and parallel bars and a silver medal in the individual all-around during the Asian championships in Doha, Qatar.

He is expected to come away with a chunk of gold medals in Cambodia, however, after dominating in the last SEA Games in Vietnam with victories in five events and silver medal efforts in two others.

“It’s a perfect time for other athletes who have been training to actually step up and perform for the national team,’’ said Philippine Sports Commission Chair Richard Bachmann after GAP president Cynthia Carrion-Norton informed him of the development.

One star who will be out of the SEA Games roster is Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, the weightlifting heroine who will be trying to qualify for Paris in an event that would conflict with the Cambodia event. INQ