By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Two-time world champion Carlos Yulo begins his quest for another Olympic appearance when he spearheads a strong Philippine squad in the 2023 Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships from June 15 to 18 in Singapore.
The tournament offers berths to the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships happening in Antwerp, Belgium from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8, which serves as a qualifier to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Yulo guns for a second shot at the Olympics after seeing action in the 2020 Tokyo Games, where he almost made it to the podium after finishing fourth in vault.
Joining Yulo are Juancho Miguel Besana, John Ivan Cruz, Justin Ace De Leon and Jann Gwynn Timbang – the same teammates who won the team event silver in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia last month.
Cruz, who was Yulo’s cousin, and Besana, are coming off gold-medal finishes in the said biennial meet in the floor exercise and vault, respectively. Yulo, for his part, won the parallel bars gold and rings silver.
Filipina gymnasts composed of 2021 SEAG double gold medalist Aleah Finnegan, Lucia Gutierrez, Kylee Anne Kvamme, Emma Lauren Malabuyo and Ancilla Lucia Mari Manzano are also seeing action in the distaff side.
