SETTING a historical record for the Philippine gymnastics, Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo became the first multi-medaled Filipino at the 2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan.  

On October 24, the 21-year-old athlete was able to bag the gold medal in the men’s vault category, and later on, take home the silver medal in the men’s parallel bar final. Before the double victory of Yulo in this years’ world championships, he also made history as he bagged home the Philippines’ first-ever gold medal in the 49th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships held in Oct. 2019 at Stuggart, Germany. During the men’s floor exercise final, Yulo was able to score a total of 15.3 which solidified his historic win for the Philippines.

The Rise After the Fall

It was not an easy journey for Yulo as he went on to become the first Filipino multi-medaled gymnast. His double victory happened just after the day he lost his world title in the men’s floor exercise final. Moreover, Yulo also shared during an interview that it was his failed attempt in acquiring a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that motivated him to win in the 2021 50th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. In an interview with Chito Trinidad of 24 Oras, Yulo shared, “Hindi siya maalis sa isip ko eh 'yung… Grabe, natalo ako sa sarili ko doon.”

Flight to Greatness

Aiming to redeem himself, Yulo scored an average of 14.916 after two attempts in the vault final, solidifying his gold medal. He was able to surpass Japan’s Yonekura Hidenobu, who scored an average of 14.866 placing second in the event. On the other hand, Yulo was able to score 15.300 in the parallel bars final, setting the seal on his spot as the second placer in this event, just a few points behind China’s Hu Xuwei who scored 15.066 in the event bagging home the gold medal.

The Eagle’s Nest

Being the first Filipino multi-medaled gymnast has its perks, especially money-wise as Yulo received cash incentives from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). However, in the case of Yulo, the thought of having cash incentives was not the first thing that popped up in his mind. It was reported that Yulo sacrificed not eating pizza for almost two years and that was his first request immediately after winning the competition.  

With Yulo’s historic achievement, his sacrifice for the competition will not be in vain because he will also receive Php 750,000 from the PSC. However, PSC Chairman William Ramirez clarified that the cash incentives Yulo received are not due to Republic Act 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and  Incentives Act. In other words, the PSC wholeheartedly rewarded Yulo the cash incentives, not just because it was mandated by the law.

Yulo’s story is an inspiration to all Filipino athletes. Similar to Yulo, all other athletes also experienced failure in their journeys. However, Yulo never gave up on his dreams and only saw failure as an inspiration to be better. Sometimes to win, we all need to take a step back to move three steps forward.