Carlos Yuloโs remarkable achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympics have not only elevated his personal standing but have also brought immense pride and honor to the Philippines. Securing double Olympic gold in artistic gymnastics is a testament to his exceptional talent, dedication, and unwavering commitment. Congratulations to Carlos Yulo on this extraordinary accomplishment!
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Despite his many trials in the sport, Carlos Edriel Yulo has shown unshaken dedication and unwavering determination that led him to his historic win in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Gymnastics was once a popular female sport, but Yuloโs win as a Filipino gymnast is historic as it is iconic, breaking gender stereotypes. His win had put gymnastics in the same spotlight as other sports like basketball and volleyball.
The playground
Journeys have to start somewhere. Caloyโs journey started small and unorthodox. He was seen happily tumbling in a playground by his grandfather, Rodrigo Francisco, who took Caloy to a nearby Rizal Memorial Complex to see if he would take a liking for gymnastics.ย โOne timeย may lumapit sa amin na gymnast andย may kaibigan din siya na nagturo sa amin. Tapos sinabi nila, bakit hindi kami sumali ng gymnastics doon sa may Rizal (Memorial Complex),โ he said according to a Spin article in 2019.
His immediate display of talent showed remarkable promise.
The longer he trained, the fewer young gymnasts there were. Parents would pull their kids out of gymnastics, believing they would have no future in a sport like gymnastics. The Yulos, however, thought that the sport would open doors for Caloy.
Caloy as a young gymnast
As a young athlete, Caloy had already shown great talent in gymnastics, winning medals for different skills. In 2019 he started competing in the Palarong Pambansa โ a multi-sport event for elementary to high school students nationwide. Representing the National Capital Region (NCR), he was part of the team that won gold, while claiming silver in floor exercise and fifth in individual all-around.
In 2013, Carlos Yulo moved up to junior-level competitions where he would earn more medals. He was coached by Allen Aldrin Castaรฑeda who would eventually become his coach during the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Training in Japan
As years passed, Caloyโs career opened many doors for him. In 2016, he was sent to train in Japan under Coach Munehiro Kugimiya and supported by the Federation Internationale Gymnastique and the MVP Sports Foundation who would then prepareย his way at the senior level of international competitions.
Kugimiya trained Yulo to become an elite athlete. He became a head-turner at the 2018 Doha World Championships, earning a bronze medal in the floor exercise before winning a historic gold medal in the floor exercise at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.ย This historic win was his ticket to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
His stayย in Japan was quite an eventful time in his life and career.ย He encountered many issues concerning his love life, family, and career. Caloyโs girlfriend, Chloe San Jose, was partially blamed for his losses as fans deemed her a distraction in his training. Caloy denied this and said that Chloe served as part of his motivation. He directly credits Chloe saying, โNaturuan din kasi ako ng partnerย ko na mag-grow, dati puro gymnasticsย lang ang alam koโฆ siya โyung part ng motivationย ko โpag ginagawa ko โyung gymnasticsย ko po.โ
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Caloyย decided to part ways with his Japanese coach, sparking controversy over his career and relationship with his mentor. He then explained that the decision was of no ill intent but rather a decision he would make to further push his career as a gymnast. Despite netizens and fans calling Yulo an ingrate, the Japanese coach and his mentee would remain tension-less as Coach Kugimiya later expressed his pride for the Filipino athlete upon his win at the Olympics in Paris.ย Yulo eventually went back under the coaching of his then mentor Coach Castaรฑeda.
Carlos Yulo and weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz paved the way for aspiring athletes to pursue their passion for any sport. He will remain the Philippinesโ golden boy, earning two iconic Olympic gold medals for his beloved country.
Contributed by Dana Angela Belo
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