Valiantly fighting pain in his right ankle, Karl Eldrew Yulo scored 13.733 points to claim the men’s floor exercise bronze medal at the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships, held at the Manila Marriott Grand Ballroom of Newport World Resorts in Pasay City.
Bothered by the ankle injury he sustained the previous day, Yulo had to be extra cautious with his landings, unable to execute the flashy moves and explosive elements he is known for.
Performing second among the eight qualifiers, the gymnast was penalized 0.100 points on his second pass for stepping slightly out of bounds.
He then had to anxiously wait for the rest of the field to finish before knowing if he had secured a podium finish.
Yulo had been the top scorer in the event during the all-around finals last Saturday, earning 14.300 points in the competition organized by the Office of the President, the Philippine Sports Commission, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
China’s Yang Langbin surpassed Yulo with 13.833 points to claim the gold, while Italy’s Simone Speranza, performing fourth on the floor, settled for silver with 13.766 points.
In a sport where fractions of a point can make all the difference, Yulo, appearing in his final competition as a junior athlete, could have taken silver without the 0.100 penalty.
“I really don’t know what to say because it is not just competition. Nakakaiyak sobra so siyempre nag-iistart na po yung journey ko. Marami pa pong disappointments or happiness,” Yulo said of his achievement in front of hometown fans.
“Masakit pa rin po. We still managed to compete with it. We still managed to get bronze. Because that’s us, guys, we’re still Filipino,” added the athlete, trying to hold back tears after his courageous performance.
While hoping for gold, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion expressed satisfaction with Yulo’s effort, considering the pain he endured in securing the bronze.
“His (Yulo) foot was injured, so the outcome was understandable. I had to ask his Japanese physiotherapist Junpei Kono to stay an extra day to treat it,” Carrion revealed.
“Anyway, we still have the vault and high bar tomorrow. Let’s see how we will do,” she added.
“I hope and pray by tomorrow his foot will be better.”
PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio, who watched Yulo perform alongside FIG president Morinari Watanabe, said, “I could not breathe. I was telling president Watanabe that this was Carlos Yulo 2.0 now performing in Manila.
“A great start for our young boy, Eldrew. Let’s not forget that he is still very young and he performed against the best in the world.”
