Athlete Carlos Yulo has three chances of claiming a medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. If things go his way, he may end up as the Philippines’ first medalist in the Paris Olympics.
Following the end of the men’s artistic gymnastics qualification at the Bercy Arena on Saturday, July 27 (Sunday, July 28, Philippine time), he advanced to the all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals.
The reigning Asian all-around champion placed ninth in the qualification with a total score of 83.631 points. Carlos Yulo aims to bank on his pet events as he placed second in the floor exercise with 14.766 points and sixth in the vault with an average of 14.683 points to reach the finals of both apparatuses.
Also Read: Philippine Olympics Gymnastics Teams Wrap Up Their Games
His performances in the other apparatuses were promising, with Yulo posting 14.333 in parallel bars, 13.466 in horizontal bars, and 13.066 in pommel horse. Undoubtedly, his marks were all higher than his scores in the Tokyo Olympics.
Pulling off the all-around can be tough, but Carlos Yulo has a narrow window to succeed. After all, his ninth place in the qualification earned him a secure spot in the Top 24.
“It’s going to be tough in the all-around. But knowing Carlos, he always brings out the best in him on every routine,’’ said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion.
Also Read: Aira Villegas beats Moroccan foe to Advance in Olympics Boxing Event
Realistically, the Japanese and Chinese teams have a better shot of bagging the medal in the six-apparatus event. China’s Zhang Boheng is a heavy favorite after he performed better than the Japanese tandem of Shinnosuke Oka and Daiki Hashimoto in the qualification phase.
However, the Japanese team bested China in the all-around on Monday, with the United States bagging the bronze medal.
Carlos Yulo’s only remaining competitions are the floor exercise finals (Aug. 3) and vault finals (Aug. 4). Unfortunately, he missed the medal rounds in the parallel bars, pommel horse, rings, and horizontal bar.
Keep Reading: Simone Biles Makes Long-Awaited Return to the 2024 Paris Olympics
Leave a Reply