Bit by bit, Tokyo-bound Carlos Yulo is getting the attention he rightfully deserves.
That came after finishing 10th in the 24-man men’s all-around finals in the 49th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany on Friday (early Saturday in Manila).
The 4-foot-11 sensation tallied 84.048 points in the contest involving the six apparatus with Russian Nikita Nagornny (88.772) and Ukrainian Artur Dalaloyan (87.165) finishing 1-2.
Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev took home the bronze in 86.973.
He made heads turn in his pet event – floor exercise – by finishing fourthwith 14.633, sixth in vault (14.600), 10th in parallel bars (14.833), 12th in still rings (13.666), 15thin high bar (13.500) and 20th in pommel horse (12.816).
Already qualified in the all-around event to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he guns for a podium finish in the floor exercise final late Saturday (early Sunday in Manila).
Yulo’s three-year extensive training in Japan under Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya is paying off as he seeks to surpass the bronze medal feat in his debut appearance in the previous edition held in Doha, Qatar last year.
He will be up once again against Nagornny and Dalaloyan, along with multiple world championship gold winner Xiao Ruoteng of China, 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist in team event Lin Chaopan also of China, reigning European champion Dominick Cunningham of Great Britain, reigning Asian Games champion Kim Hansol of South Korea, and top qualifier Artem Dolgopyat of Israel.
“Gusto ko po talaga maka-gold ngayon. Para sa aking pamilya at kay coach Mune,” he said after qualifying in the event by placing seventh overall in the qualifications.
His 14.633 points in that round was actually higher than his bronze-medal score of 14.600 in Doha.
Yulo said Kugimiya, who has been coaching him for the last six year, raised the degree of difficulty of his routine from 6.2 to 6.5 – the highest among the eight floor exercise finalists. (Kristel Satumbaga)