Philippine gymnastics star Carlos Edriel Yulo continued his outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics by winning his second gold medal in the vault final, a day after claiming the top spot in the men’s floor exercise event. Yulo’s achievement not only made him the first Filipino gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal but also marked a new chapter in the history of gymnastics in the Philippines.
On Saturday, August 3, the men’s floor exercise final concluded at the Paris Olympics held at the Bercy Arena. The 24-year-old Yulo delivered a remarkable performance, clinching the gold with a total score of 15.000, securing the first gold for the Philippines at the current Olympics. Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat, the 2023 world champion seeking to defend his title, earned the silver with a score of 14.966, while Jake Jarman of the UK won the bronze with a score of 14.933.
Yulo’s gold medal is not only the first ever gymnastics gold for the Philippines in Olympic history but also the second Olympic gold for the country following Hidilyn Diaz’s victory in the women’s 55kg weightlifting category at the previous Tokyo Olympics.
In a surprising turn of events, Yulo continued his winning streak in the vault final held on Sunday, August 4, with an almost flawless performance that impressed the judges, resulting in an average score of 15.116 to claim the gold medal. Armenian gymnast Artur Davtyan secured the silver, while Harry Hepworth of the UK took home the bronze.
Yulo, a two-time world champion in 2019 and 2021, faced setbacks in the previous Tokyo Olympics where he failed to qualify for the finals, and also had a subpar performance at last year’s world championships. However, he made a remarkable comeback at the Paris Olympics, winning two gold medals in a row. After the competition, he was visibly emotional, shedding tears of joy and expressing deep gratitude to everyone who had supported him along the way.