Carlos Yulo made everything moot and academic with his groundbreaking achievement.
The human dynamo gymnast etched his name in history as the first Filipino athlete to win two gold medals in the Olympics, a remarkable feat that celebrated the country’s century-long participation in the Summer Games.
At just 24, Yulo clinched the rare double gold by topping both the men’s floor exercise and vault, leading the Philippines to an accomplishment that had never been achieved before in the annals of the quadrennial showcase.
For such a monumental achievement, Yulo was the overwhelming choice for the 2024 Athlete of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA), which will officially honor him at its Awards Night on January 27 at the grand ballroom of the Manila Hotel.
Yulo becomes the first gymnast since Pia Adelle Reyes in 1997 to be named Athlete of the Year by the country’s oldest media organization.
The traditional gala night is backed by San Miguel Corporation and co-presented by ArenaPlus, Cignal, and MediaQuest.
In addition to the Athlete of the Year award, a host of other accolades will be presented, including the NSA of the Year, Major Awards in other sports, the President’s Award, Executive of the Year, Citations, the Tony Siddayao Awards, and Hall of Fame recognitions. Special recognition will also be given to Filipino Olympians, including those from the Paris Olympics and Paralympics.
The event is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, PLDT/Smart, Senator Bong Go, Januarius Holdings, the PBA, PVL, 1-Pacman Party List, AcroCity, Rain or Shine, and Akari.
“From a great Olympic performance to an even greater Olympic show, and from one big breakthrough to an even bigger breakthrough – thanks to Carlos Yulo, whose giant feat we will celebrate by honoring him with our highest accolades,” said PSA President Nelson Beltran, sports editor of The Philippine Star.
Yulo’s triumph came as a perfect follow-up to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s historic Olympic gold medal win during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, when she triumphed in the women’s 55kg class final. Ironically, it was in the same Japanese capital where Yulo had his first taste of Olympic competition, where he only qualified for the men’s vault final and fell short of a podium finish.
Four years later, Yulo returned with a vengeance.
After a disappointing performance in the floor exercise at the Tokyo Games, Yulo bounced back to claim victory in his signature event, scoring a total of 15.000 points and beating reigning champion Artem Dolgopyat of Israel (14.966), earning the Philippines’ first gold in Paris.
The joy of becoming the first Filipino gymnast to win an Olympic gold was still fresh when Yulo added another gold to his collection, winning the men’s vault final with a total of 15.116 points, surpassing Arthur Davtyan of Armenia (14.966).
By rewriting history, Yulo has positioned himself as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Filipino athletes of all time.
