The road to redemption has opened up rather nicely for the Filipino gymnast after he qualified for the floor exercise, vault, and all-around finals in Paris.
Carlos Yulo, the Filipino gymnastics sensation, has secured his spot in the men’s individual all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
During Saturday’s qualification round at the Bercy Arena, Yulo showcased his exceptional skills across all six apparatuses, with a standout performance in his signature events, the floor exercise, and vault as he placed second and sixth place, respectively. Only the top eight gymnasts in each apparatus advanced to the finals. In the all-around results tally, where the top 24 advanced, he wound up a strong eighth.
Yulo’s floor routine, which earned him an impressive score of 14.766, not only guaranteed his place in the apparatus final but also positioned him as a strong medal contender. This achievement builds upon his previous success in the discipline, including his world championship titles. Notably, Yulo’s score was even better than that of reigning Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat of Israel, who scored 14.466 in the qualification.
The 24-year-old dynamo demonstrated consistency throughout the qualification round, securing the eighth spot in the overall standings with a cumulative score of 83.631 and punching his ticket to the all-around final. His performances on the vault (14.683 average) and parallel bars (14.533) were particularly strong as he landed in 18th place on the latter, highlighting his versatility and technical prowess.
While Yulo excelled in his specialties, the qualification round also revealed areas for potential improvement. His scores on the pommel horse (13.066), rings (13.000), parallel bars (14.533) and horizontal bar (13.466) were lower but sufficient to maintain his overall standing where he finished 40th, 49th, 19th, and 27th places respectively.
As the first Filipino and male Southeast Asian gymnast to medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Carlos Yulo’s qualification for multiple Olympic finals marks another significant milestone in his career. His journey from the streets of Manila to the Olympic arena in Paris exemplifies the global nature of gymnastics and the power of perseverance.
With the individual all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals on the horizon, Yulo will have the opportunity to further showcase his skills against the world’s elite gymnasts. The finals schedule is as follows:
- Men’s All-Around Final: July 31, 2024 at 11:30 PM
- Men’s Floor Exercise Final: August 3, 2024 at 9:30 PM
- Men’s Vault Final: August 4, 2024 at 10:24 PM
His performance in the qualification round suggests that he is well-prepared for the challenges ahead, carrying the hopes of his nation as he vies for Olympic glory.
All eyes will be on this dynamic gymnast as he seeks to improve upon his fourth-place finish in the vault at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and potentially secure the Philippines’ first Olympic medal in gymnastics.
This qualification marks a significant improvement from his performance in Tokyo, where he missed the medal round in the floor exercise with a score of only 13.566, finishing 47th in the qualification.
Banner image from AFP. Special thanks to Dayne Aduna.
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