For the second time in as many days, the Philippine National Anthem was heard in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This, as Carlos Yulo rewrote the country’s sporting history once more by winning another gold medal, this time in the vault finals of men’s artistic gymnastics.
“The Golden Boy” has thoroughly lived up to his reputation as he is set to leave Paris with two golds after another sensational performance at the Bercy Arena on Sunday night, August 4.
His triumph came a day after winning gold in the floor exercise for the Philippines’ first medal of the Summer Games.
With his victory in vault, Yulo has ensured that the country will improve upon its performance in Tokyo in 2021, when iconic weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz brought home the Philippines’ first-ever gold medal.
The dynamic Filipino gymnast scored 15.116 for his two vaults in the finals, where he upped the difficulty level of his first attempt.
A former world champion in the apparatus, Yulo first performed a Ri Se Gwang for a score of 15.433, and then a Kasamatsu double twist for a score of 14.800.
He overtook Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth, who performed second and got a 14.949.
Great Britain’s Jake Jarman was in third place with his 14.933 until the last gymnast — Artur Davtyan of Armenia, whose clean execution of his two vaults got a score of 14.966. He secured the silver and relegated Hepworth to the bronze.
But the day belonged to Yulo, who became just the fourth Filipino athlete to win multiple Olympic medals.
He joined swimmer Teófilo Yldefonso, who won bronzes in 1928 Amsterdam and 1932 Los Angeles; Diaz, who was a silver medalist in Rio before her golden breakthrough in Tokyo; and boxer Nesthy Petecio, who is assured of at least a bronze in Paris after having won silver in Tokyo 2020.
He is the first Filipino athlete to win multiple medals in a single Olympics, and the first to win two gold medals.
Sleepless night
The “Golden Boy” delivered the Philippines’ first gold medal in the Paris Olympics on Saturday night, August 3, after a stunning performance in the floor exercise.
Yulo later told reporters that he could not sleep the night before after winning floor exercise gold.
“It’s crazy because last night I couldn’t sleep. I was so hyped because I had won that gold medal on floor,” he said.
“It still didn’t sink in. This morning I was so sleepy, I didn’t know what to do.”
“I was just hoping to perform well [today]. I didn’t really expect a medal. It really felt like a bonus for me,” added Yulo, who has tripled the Philippines’ gold medal tally in the Olympics in the span of two days.
“I slept [on] the bus. I slept after the podium training. I slept before going to the competition area. I [was kind of] napping for 15 to 20 minutes. I felt good after that and I just went for it.”
Davtyan was left with a bittersweet taste after going so close to gold.
“I am a little bit disappointed because I wanted the gold medal. But I have the silver, I’m glad for that,” he said.
Hepworth, meanwhile, disclosed he was planning an extravagant evening’s entertainment to mark his bronze.
“I will have a full pizza in the Olympic Village. That’s how I will celebrate” he laughed.
Yulo had placed sixth in the qualification for the vault, with a score of 14.683.
But he leveled up in difficulty in the finals while maintaining his trademark clean execution — enough to claim a historic second gold. (Agence France-Presse)