Carlos Yulo bags bronze, continues ranking points hunt

Philippines’ Carlos Edriel Yulo competes during the Men’s Vault final at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, northern England on November 6, 2022. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – PUBLICATION OF SEQUENCES IN EXCESS OF 5 IMAGES/SECOND IS PROHIBITED

Carlos Yulo was laser-focused in his parallel bars routine from the time coach Munehiro Kugimiya removed the launch pad until the final aerial twist for a near-flawless landing.

The routine may have been good enough only for a bronze medal at the close of the 2023 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Cottbus, Germany, but it was enough to build momentum for the other chances that Yulo will have to rake in precious ranking points.

The top Filipino gymnast is now bound for Doha, Qatar, for the second phase of world cup on March 1 to 4 followed by another staging in Baku, Azerbaijan, on March 9 to 12 before the series ends in Cairo, Egypt, on April 27 to 30.

Yulo is also looking to finish better for a shot at qualifying in his favorite events—floor exercise, vault and parallel bars—during the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, on Sept. 30 to Oct. 10.

“Winning medals [in the world cup series] is always the goal, but it is equally important for me to execute my routines properly in these three events,’’ said Yulo.

The 4-foot-11 fireball failed to make the cut in floor exercise in Cottbus after finishing 20th in eliminations of the event where Yulo was a former world champion.

He also missed bagging a medal in the vault, the apparatus where he usually winds up in the top three, including a gold in the 2021 world championships.

Yulo had to overcome several hurdles, both physically and mentally, before the world cup series kickoff in Germany.

The 22-year-old from Leveriza, Manila, was down with the flu a month before the tournament, prompting him to skip gym work for four straight days. Prior to that, he had an aching tooth that prevented him from eating and training properly.

“Time away from the gym is a big deal, especially if there’s a big tournament coming up. I always have this urge to visit the gym on a daily basis to keep me in great condition,’’ said Yulo.

The No.1 performer in each of the six apparatuses after the four-leg world cup series automatically goes to the Antwerp world championships where qualifying spots for the 2024 Paris Olympics are at stake.

Another route for Yulo to earn a ticket to Antwerp is via the Asian championships on June 10 to 18 in Singapore.

“It’s always a personal mental battle in training and during competition. Sometimes, you cannot avoid thinking about negative things, you just have to fight it off,’’ said Yulo.