Paris - Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo has successfully qualified for the finals in three events at the Paris Olympics, confirming his status as a strong contender for the Philippines’ next Olympic gold medal.
According to Philippines News Agency, Yulo placed eighth in the all-around category at the end of the preliminary rounds held at the Accor Arena, scoring a total of 83.631 points, comfortably making the top 24 cut-off for the medal round. Notably, Yulo excelled in the floor exercise, securing the second-highest score of 14.766 points, just behind Great Britain’s Jake Jarman. This performance sets him up as a top challenger in what is considered his best event.
Yulo also showed promise in the vault, where he finished sixth with 14.683 points, providing him a second opportunity to compete for a medal. However, he faced challenges on the parallel bars, finishing 19th with a score of 14.533 points, which did not qualify him for the finals in that apparatus due to the competition's rule limiting finals to the top eight scorers per event, with a maximum of two gymnasts per country.
Looking ahead, Yulo will need to outperform competitors from gymnastics powerhouses like China and Japan to clinch a medal. China’s Zhang Boheng leads the all-around qualifiers with 88.597 points, followed closely by Japanese gymnasts Shinnosuke Oka and Daiki Hashimoto. With strong performances in the finals, Yulo could significantly enhance his Olympic legacy and contribute to the Philippines' medal tally.