The Philippines’ Carlos Edriel Yulo competes in the parallel bars event of the artistic gymnastics men’s qualification during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)
Carlos Yulo has an opportunity to join a handful of Filipino athletes who have pulled off a rare feat of winning multiple medals in their Olympic careers.
But unlike Teofilo Yldefonso and Hidilyn Diaz, the Malate-born gymnast can produce a first for the Philippines in its 100-year history in the grand spectacle by claiming multiple medals at a single Olympic edition.
Yulo qualified to the finals of the men’s all-around, vault and floor exercise of the Paris Olympics 2024, already a remarkable showing for the multi-time world champion who struggled in his debut three years ago at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo edition.
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Taking at least one medal is considered a success for the Philippines in any Olympics, and possibly a life-changing accomplishment for the athlete who would step onto the podium, with fame and fortune likely to follow.
That wasn’t the case in the Tokyo meet when Diaz ended the country’s long wait for a gold, along with silver medals by boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam and a bronze from fellow slugger Eumir Marcial.
Before her golden moment in Japan, Diaz claimed a silver at the 2016 Rio Games, snapping a 20-year medal drought for the Philippines.
Yldefonso was the first to bag more than one medal at the ultimate sporting event when the swimmer known as the “Ilocano Shark” produced two bronzes.
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It both came at the 200-meter breaststroke in 1928 Amsterdam and 1932 Los Angeles Games. He made a third Olympic appearance at the 1936 Berlin edition but missed out on a podium finish at the same event.
Any medal Yulo may get in those three events would give sporting fans back home reason to smile about after his lone appearance in a final in vault at the Tokyo Games resulted in a sixth-place finish.
Of course, winning gold is a good cause for a massive celebration.