By NIKOLE JAVIER
It’s final, gymnast ace Carlos Yulo will have to forego the Asian Games this September in order for him to focus on the World Artistic Gymnastics in Belgium.
The Asian Games, which will be hosted by Hangzhou, China from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 coincides with the Sept. 30 to Oct. 8 schedule of the World Championships which is the main qualifier for the Paris Games next year.
“Siyemre mas pinili ko ‘yong world championships kasi gusto ko mag-qualify sa Olympics this year,” Yulo said.
For foregoing the Asian Games, Yulo can concentrate fully on his preparation for the world meet as he intends to get another shot at the 2024 Paris Olympics after a disappointing show in the Tokyo Games two years ago.
The two-time world champion said he didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to secure a berth for the Paris Games this year instead of waiting out for the next shot when he could be using that time to prepare.
Yulo is coming off another impressive performance in the Asian Artistics Gymnastics, where he emerged as the best male gymnast for the second consecutive edition.
In that event, the 23-year-old Yulo won three gold medals for his stellar performance in floor exercise, vault and parallel bars apart from taking one silver in the men’s all-around and one bronze in the horizontal bar.
Yulo himself said that he has full confidence in his teammates as the fate of the country’s men’s gymnastics in the Asiad now rests on Miguel Besana and his cousin Ivan Cruz, who won gold medals in vault and floor exercise, respectively, in the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.
Come the world championships, Yulo would need to finish as one of the eight highest-ranked male all-around gymnasts to earn his place in the Olympics.
While Yulo wants to redeem himself in the Asian Games after his dismal performance in 2018 in Indonesia, where he went home empty-handed, a spot in the Olympics trumps that desire.
“Sa paparating na World Championships, hindi magiging madali makapag-qualify sa Olympics. Kasi last year, 12 members ‘yong kailangan. Bumaba ng eight,” he said.
“Mas magfo-focus ako na makapag-qualify sa all-around kaysa sa event finals. Kasi gusto kong mas maging relaxed pagdating doon sa event finals para makakuha ako ng medals,” he added.
