Unlike himself, Eldrew Yulo said that his teammates only had about a month’s time to prepare for the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships.
Eldrew Yulo is without a doubt one of the Philippines’ biggest hopes for a podium finish in the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships.
But Yulo believes there could’ve been more opportunities for his teammates, who were only given the green light to compete just a few weeks back from the start of the competition.
Though he said that it was a great opportunity for his fellow Filipino gymnasts, there could’ve been more to show the world if they had more time.
“Medyo bittersweet kasi 'di sila nakapag-ready nang maayos. Almost one month lang ang preparation nila, samantalang ako, more than a year ang preparation ko,” Yulo said after competing in the qualification round on Thursday at the Marriott Grand Ballroom.
“So medyo unfair sakanila kasi for me as a team leader, or team captain, nalulungkot ako,” he added.
Yulo, competing in his first Junior World Championships, was the lone representative in the men’s division finals after qualifying for four different events over the weekend and on the final day on Monday.
[READ:
Eldrew Yulo stays humble amid medal hopes in Junior Worlds finals]
Meanwhile, King Cjay Pernia and Hillarion Palles finished 106th and 113th, respectively.
Untapped potential
Still, Yulo was beyond grateful to share the mats with his teammates, with the women also getting three slots to compete.
At the end of the day, he knows that it will be good for their respective careers but still yearns for what could’ve been if the team,
with the exception of Elisabeth Antone, was given ample preparation time to bring their best foot forward in the competition.
“Masaya din [ako] kasi binigyan kami ng chance ni FIG na magkaron ng team, and at the same time nakakalungkot kasi late na po, and wala pa sila masyadong preparation na maayos,” he said.
Yulo now remains the Philippines’ lone hope for a medal in the men’s division with his finals upcoming in the men’s all-around, men’s vault, men’s horizontal bar, and men’s floor exercise.
Yulo plunges back into action with the men’s all-around final where he qualified 13th among the 24 finalists on Saturday, November 22, still at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport World Resorts in Pasay City.
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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.