FOLLOWING the footsteps of his older brother, Karl Eldrew Yulo is holding himself to the same high standard as two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo, as he begins training in Japan to chase his own Olympic dreams.

Eldrew, already recognized as one of the country’s top artistic gymnasts, has teamed up with Munehiro Kugimiya—the same coach who guided his brother to a historic performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Speaking at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum yesterday, the 16-year-old Yulo shared some of the key areas he hopes to improve under the Japanese coach’s guidance.

“I’m training there for my routine. Me and coach Mune will fix my routine, lilinisin po namin lahat, and gagawa kami ng skills na bago,” Eldrew told a media. 

Same Path, Different Animal

Eldrew is currently deep in training for the upcoming FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships, which will be hosted by the Philippines later this year at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.

He aims to dominate the event, marking the country’s first time hosting the tournament, as part of his bigger dream to eventually leave a mark in the Olympics—ideally in the 2028 edition in Los Angeles.

“He is training now specifically for the Junior Worlds, but he is gonna go back to train for the Olympics. If he is gonna be there for four years, then it’s gonna be four years,” Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) President Cynthia Carrion added.

Carlos began training under Kugimiya during his teenage years, a partnership that led to a gold medal in the floor exercise at the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and earned him a spot in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

While Eldrew appears to be following a similar path, he’s determined to match — or even exceed — his older brother’s accomplishments. That said, he made it clear that he wants to establish his own identity in the sport.

“Different species,” he emphasized. “So ‘di ko po alam kung anong iduduplicate ko. We have different styles and different forms, so siguro, yung hardwork and yung surname lang ang madu-duplicate ko talaga.”

Meanwhile, Carrion shared similar thoughts with the media, noting the distinct circumstances surrounding the journeys of the two exceptional artistic gymnasts.

“They are different. Eldrew is a completely different animal. It’s not only the personality. Eldrew already started from the beginning wanting to do like his brother, Carlos started from scratch. Their circumstances are very different,” Carrion explained.

Home Away From Home

Eldrew is also aware of the difficulties that come with training abroad, far from his family in Leveriza, which is why he’s grateful to Coach Kugimiya for creating a home-like environment for him.

“Kahit nakakapagod, nakakahanap pa rin ng paraan si Coach Mune para mapasaya ako. Araw-araw, parang nagaasaran po kami ni Coach Mune, so nakakatulong siya na makapag focus ako,” Eldrew said.

“‘Gusto mo maigng pogi? Galingan mo!’ Nagta-Tagalog na po siya, at nakakahanap na po siya ng way para hindi ako ma-boring. Masaya po ako sa Japan, kahit mag isa,” he added.

Training in Japan has also broadened his overall understanding of gymnastics, particularly as he gets the chance to work alongside other top-tier athletes.

“Mas nakikita ko na mas nag-iimprove ako ng mabilis sa Japan. Marami akong nakikita na sobrang galing, kaya doon ako nakakakita ng inspiration, na I can improve myself faster in comparison sa Pinas,” he said.

Despite their family history and his brother’s achievements, Eldrew has never seen Carlos as a competitor, even if they end up in the same event. For him, Carlos is purely a source of motivation and inspiration to keep improving.

“Hindi ko po siya rival, pero ginagawa ko po siyang inspiration and motivation, na kaya kong ma-achieve kung ano yung gusto ko. I work on my own, I have to deal with it on my own, because he [Carlos] does that too,” he said.

As he continues to carve his own path, Karl Eldrew Yulo stands at the beginning of what could be a remarkable journey—not as a shadow of his brother’s legacy, but as a rising star in his own right.