Carlos Yulo sets sights on Olympic qualifier

Southeast Asian Games – Artistic Gymnastics – Olympic Marquee, Phnom Penh, Cambodia – May 8, 2023 Philippines’ Carlos  Yulo in action during the men’s qualification REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

Back in Japan, Carlos Edriel Yulo has shifted his focus on the coming World Artistic Gymnastics Championship, the gateway for the Filipino gymnastics celebrity to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Just last weekend, Yulo stood out in the Asian championships with three gold medals and a silver, towing the Philippines to its most dominant finish in the continental meet.

“It was another successful competition. I qualified to the world championships and we’re just getting started,’’ said Yulo in an Instagram post after his mastery of men’s floor exercise, vault and parallel bars at the Asian champs held in Singapore.

The 4-foot-11 dynamo likewise nailed a silver medal in the all-around and a bronze in the horizontal bar, his exploits ushering Team Philippines to second place overall with three gold, two silver and three bronze medals behind mighty China’s eight-gold haul.

Faulty landing

Dwarfed in stature by silver medalist Dmitry Patanin of Kazakhstan (left) and bronze medal win- ner Su Weide of China during the floor awarding, the Philippines’ Caloy Yulo was a cut above everyone else in three disciplines. — GYMNASTICS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES PHOTOS

“We are second to China, the rest were not even mentioned like Thailand, Indonesia, Mongolia and Cambodia to name a few,’’ said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion-Norton.

Japan landed third with only one gold to show along with three silvers and two bronzes while South Korea came in fourth (1-2-3) among 20 countries.

“There were many challenges prior to and during the competition but I managed to get back on track and perform in my best condition,’’ said Yulo.

One of those challenges came in the vault following a faulty landing in his first attempt.

Keeping his composure, Yulo made amends in his second vault for a combined average score that prevented Uzbekistan’s Abdulaziz Mirvaliev and Korea’s Jaeho Kim from seizing the crown the Filipino won in the 2022 Doha, Qatar, continental champs.

Stellar performance

“Carlos has a lot of work to do for the world championships as all countries are improving and he has to do the same,’’ said Carrion-Norton.

That stellar performance that Yulo had in the Asian championships was key to the world meet scheduled Sept. 30 to Oct. 8 in Antwerp, Belgium, where spots to the Paris Games next year are at stake.

Joining Yulo in the Worlds are Aleah Finnegan, who accounted for the two other bronzes in the women’s vault and balance beam, and silver-performer Emma Lauren Malabuyo in the women’s floor exercise.

Yulo will take a quick break in Manila starting on Thursday to visit his family.

“Still lots of room for improvement and I’m just taking it one step at a time,’’ said Yulo, readying himself for a three-month optimum training with Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya.

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