Carlos Yulo focusing on pommel horse as Paris Olympics nears

FILE–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

MANILA, Philippines—Carlos Yulo will be competing in various events in his latest Olympic bid and if there’s one particular event that he is worried about ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, it’s the pommel horse.

Seeking perfection, Yulo admitted he still has some work to do in the pommel horse with a month to go before the Games.

“For all around, I’ll be joining six events so I’ll see what I can improve on in practice but I’m having difficulty in the pommel horse,” said Yulo in Filipino during the Philippine delegation’s send-off ceremony at Ayuntamiento de Manila in Intramuros on Friday.

READ: ‘Grateful’ Carlos Yulo wants more after Asian meet success

“I’m also more focused on injury prevention in practice, I’m strengthening my endurance and building my muscles because I really shrank after the Asian Championships having done a lot to try and improve my skills. So I need [to lift] weights but right now I’m super healthy and I’m grateful that I have no injuries.”

While the floor exercise is Yulo’s pet event, the pommel horse isn’t really his strong suit.

The last time the 24-year-old Yulo made the podium in the said event was in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where he won silver.

READ: Carlos Yulo adds two more golds as PH rises to 2nd

“I’m trying to see where I can improve. I became experimental so what happened before [in previous competitions] isn’t that good but they’re all good experiences.”

“Despite those results, I took it as a learning experience.”

Yulo is also well aware of his competition in Paris.

“I feel like all those top-level athletes are proven and tested and they have a lot of experiences like me so maybe I’ll practice to be more confident in performing and have trust in myself and all things I’ve been practicing.”