Another Yulo uses Palaro as career takeoff point

Elaiza Yulo shows picture-perfect form in ruling the balance beam event. — CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

There’s no denying that Elaiza Yulo can perform worthy of the family name.

The sister of the more popular Caloy and Eldrew is also making the Palarong Pambansa as the takeoff point of her gymnastics career after winning all but one of six gold medals staked in the girls’ secondary artistic event on Sunday in Cebu City.

“They (Caloy and Eldrew) just told me to give my best and they will still be proud of me whatever the outcome is,” said Yulo in Filipino.

Except for a silver in the vault, Elaiza was a cut above everybody else in the balance beam, floor exercise, uneven bars and individual all-around apart from leading the National Capital Region squad to victory in the team event alongside Cielo Andrea Esliza and Amara Zoe Lagdameo.

Yulo scored 9.850 in the uneven bars, 12.050 in the balance beam and 10.900 in the floor exercise. She lost to Central Luzon’s Adrienne Rose Nadres in the battle for gold in the vault.

Following brothers’ footsteps

Caloy, a two-time world champion and Olympian, was a complete standout during his heydays in the Palaro, while the younger Eldrew also captured all golds in the boys secondary artistic category last year in Marikina City.

“I definitely want to become an Olympian like Caloy and win medals in international competitions,” said Yulo, who picked up the sport when she was three years old.

Eldrew has begun to step out of his brother’s shadow by winning several tournaments overseas, highlighted by a gold in the junior men’s vault in this year’s Asian championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Caloy won the floor exercise in the 2019 world championships in Stuttgart, Germany and the vault in the 2021 worlds in Kitakyushu, Japan.

“I’m lucky because I always get tips from my brothers, thankful for the guidance,” said Elaiza.

Up next for Elaiza, an incoming 10th grader at Adamson University, is the JRC Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Thailand later this year and the Batang Pinoy Games in December in Puerto Princesa City. INQ