The Philippines’ Carlos Edriel Yulo reacts during the men’s parallel bars competition during the ninth Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Qatar’s capital Doha on June 18, 2022. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
Expect an entirely different top-performing Carlos Yulo in the coming World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
“Coach (Munehiro Kugimiya) and I have plans to increase the level of difficulty in the execution in all of my routines,’’ said Yulo.
The two-time Filipino world champion feels that an upgrade is necessary, especially that the best gymnasts on the planet are anticipated to show up at the world championships in Antwerp, Belgium, on Sept. 30 to Oct. 8.
Yulo was tops in the floor exercise, vault and parallel bars plus a silver medal in the individual all-around during the Asian championships last month in Singapore, earning him a trip to the worlds where a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics will be dangled as the ultimate prize.
The dominant performance gave Team Philippines its best finish in the continental championships after placing second to the eight-gold haul of China in the seniors division.
FILE– Philippines’ Carlos Edriel Poquiz Yulo in action. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
Overall, Filipino gymnasts collected three golds, two silvers and three bronzes, including the silver of Emma Malabuyo in the women’s floor exercise and Aleah Finnegan’s pair of bronzes in the vault and balance beam.
“If I maintain what I have been doing now and execute them in the world championships, my scores will stay the same,’’ said Yulo.
The 4-foot-11 fireball was the floor exercise world champion in 2019 held in Stuttgart, Germany, and duplicated the feat in the vault during the 2021 edition of the global in Kitakyushu, Japan.
“There’s little chance for me to win the gold again (in the world championships) if I keep on performing the same way. I was able to do it on the floor where we always increase the degree of difficulty in training and execute the routine in competitions,’’ said Yulo.
While he’s already on the top of his game in the floor, vault and parallel bars, the 23-year-old from Leveriza, Tondo, acknowledges that more improvement should be done in the rings and high bars.
Yulo intends to train for the world championships mostly at the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines facility in Intramuros, Manila, but will hold some of his workouts in Japan.
“I always look for something where I can improve not only in perfecting my executions, but to show my own style as well,’’ said Yulo.