First-timer Eldrew Yulo has qualified for four finals in the Junior World Championships in Manila.
So far, so good for gymnast Eldrew Yulo after qualifying for four finals on the first day of the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport, Pasay on Thursday.
The 17-year-old brother of two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo qualified for the medal rounds of the Men’s All-Around, Men’s Floor Exercise, Men’s Vault, and Men’s Horizontal Bar.
The younger Yulo is the remaining Philippine representative in the men's division.
“Yeah, so natupad 'yung isa ko pang wish but, my job’s still not finished. So, gagalingan ko pa and ibibigay ko talaga lahat ng best ko… I will give my 100%, or more than,” Yulo told media after the qualification round on Thursday.
[READ:
Karl Eldrew Yulo qualifies for four finals in Gymnastics Junior World Championships]
Yulo performed best in the floor exercise, where he qualified with the
second highest score of 14.233.
He then placed 5th in the Men's Vault with 13.750 while placing 6th in the Men's Horizontal Bar with 13.700.
In the all-around, he placed13th overall among the 24 finalists with 78.332.
Despite being lower in the ranks, he was only a few points off of the Top 3 entering the finals, with 3rd place qualifier Nao Ojima of Japan scoring 80.631 – a difference he hopes to make up in the all-around final on Saturday.
Keeping expectations in check
Yulo’s impressive performance in his first Junior World Championships ensures the Philippines of a well-represented campaign in the men’s side.
Though confident in his own abilities as a multi-medalist (one gold, two silvers) in vault at the Junior Asian Championships, Yulo said that he can’t guarantee a great finish on the podium but will repay those who came out to support him.
“Hindi ko pa po sure. I cannot tell the future,” he said when asked if he would take home the gold. “So, I’ll just lay low and I have to prove [to] them that this is the Philippines and I have to prove something for the people who support me because they put so much money here and so much support and hope, I will do my very best.”
The Marriott Grand Ballroom was filled during Yulo’s qualification on Thursday night, with his family and brother sitting among the crowd to cheer him on.
Yulo competes over the weekend with the all-around final set on Saturday. Meanwhile, he competes in the apparatus finals for floor exercise on Sunday.
He wraps up his campaign on Monday, the final day of the World Championships, for the vault and horizontal bar finals.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.