FILE–The Philippines’ Carlos Yulo competes in the Men’s Floor Final during the 52nd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, in Antwerp, northern Belgium, on October 7, 2023. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)
Carlos Yulo had long desired to reach the Asian summit of the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all-around competition.
Amazed by the breathtaking view at the top, perhaps it won’t be a stretch if the Filipino dynamo aspires to climb the Mt. Everest of his event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“We were jumping with joy for Carlos being No. 1 in Asia. That’s how happy we are,” said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion.
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Yulo just claimed his first gold medal in the individual all-around at the Asian Gymnastics Men’s Artistic Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a shiny mint that eluded him in previous top-level continental meets.
“He (Yulo) has proven that he’s the best in Asia. Next is Olympic gold,” said Carrion.
Yulo’s masterful win in the six apparatus combined—floor exercise, rings, pommel horse, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar—is indeed an exceptional feat, an added dimension from what he had consistently accomplished before.
The Tokyo Olympian who will likewise bring his act to the French capital in July has made the floor exercise, parallel bars and vault his bread and butter as three apparatus became the source of his podium finishes in mostly all high-caliber tournaments.
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“We are really excited with what Carlos can show in the Olympics. Very promising,” said Carrion.
Yulo ruled the floor, vault and parallel bars during the Asian championship last year in Singapore after topping the three apparatus back in the Doha continental champs in 2022.
The 24-year-old from Leveriza, Manila, however, couldn’t strike gold in the individual all-around after landing on the silver stage on both occasions.
Yulo compiled 84.931 points in Tashkent this time and earned his first gold in the event, beating Kazakhstan’s Milad Karimi, who claimed the silver with 84.632 points, and silver medalist Asimov Abdulla of Uzbekistan (82.431).
Karimi secured the bronze in the 2023 world championships held in Antwerp, Belgium.
As Yulo’s confidence soared, the two-time Filipino world champion has a clear shot of putting more gold medals around his neck as he competes in the floor and still rings finals plus the vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar until Sunday.