JUST as everyone was beginning to doubt him after a year of training without a coach, Filipino world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo overcame the odds yesterday. 

In the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Doha, Qatar, he won gold in the men’s parallel bars and silver in the vault, proving to his home fans that he is still a force to be reckoned with. 

The Olympic gymnast finished with a score of 15.200. He finished ahead of Chinese Taipei’s Hung Yuan-Hsi (14.966) and Brazil’s Caio Souza (14.566) to win gold for his country. 

This is Yulo’s first gold medal in the World Cup Series since last year, when he won the parallel bars and vault. The 24-year-old won both the gold and silver medals. 

Artur Davytan of Armenia, a former Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist, finished first with 15.166 points. Yulo came in second with 15.066, while Yahor Sharamkou of Belarus finished third with 14.749 points. 

Yulo has already secured a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He is one of three Filipino gymnasts who will compete in July, alongside Filipino-Americans Aleah Finnegan and Levi Ruivivar on the women’s squad. 

The 17-year-old Ruivivar completed with 30 points to win the silver medal on the uneven bars in Doha early Saturday, bringing her total to 62 qualifying points. 

Fil-Am Emma Malabuyo was also aiming for an Olympic berth through the World Cup series but came up short with 69 points at third place, one spot short of the minimum top two finish. 

Bringing pride and glory

Filipino athletes continue to make the country proud, securing one spot after the other in the forthcoming Paris Olympics. This is currently the largest number of Olympic entrants for the gymnastics squad. 

The last time the Philippines had a strong presence in gymnastics was in 1968 when Ernesto Beren and Norman Henson competed in the Mexico City Olympics. 

Yulo continues to give pride to the Philippines. The two-time world champion and Tokyo Olympian increased his medal tally in the global cup to five golds, four silvers, and six bronzes. 

The sport may not be as mainstream as others, but these competitors remain focused on their goals, striving to bring more glory to an already proud country.