Cover Gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo at the 49th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany (Photo: Laurence Griffiths/GettyImages)
Gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo at the 49th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany (Photo: Laurence Griffiths/GettyImages)
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24-year-old Carlos Yulo is now considered the greatest Filipino gymnast of all time after two monumental wins
With a professional career spanning 15 years and counting, 24-year-old gymnast Carlos Yulo represented the Philippines at the Paris 2024 Olympics where he became the first Southeast Asian to win a gold medal. Ever since making his international debut as a senior gymnast at the Melbourne World Cup, he has made waves as a rising star in the world of gymnastics. Despite only finishing fourth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he redeemed himself with a monumental victory as he brings home the Philippines' second and third Olympic gold.
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He has won more than 20 gold medals internationally
Yulo won his first international gold medal as a junior in 2014 at the ASEAN School Games, where he competed against school athletes from Brunei, Indonesia, and Singapore, among many others. He would go on to win a total of 35 golds, 23 silvers, and 16 bronze medals as of 2024 and most recently added two Olympic golds to his name.
He made history as the first Filipino to win a medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship
Above Carlos Yulo performing a floor exercise at the 49th Artistic Gymnastic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany
In 2018, Yulo became the first Filipino and first Southeast Asian gymnast to win a medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar. His precise form and astounding execution on the floor exercise earned him a bronze medal, and the following year, in Stuttgart, Germany, he bagged a gold medal for the same category.
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He travels around the world for training
In 2016, Yulo accepted the Japan Olympic Association’s offer to train in Tokyo under a scholarship programme. There, he pursued his education at Teikyo University, graduating in 2022 with an associate degree in literature. Recently, he’s been moving around—in the Philippines, South Korea and Lilleshall, England, alongside Team GB’s Jake Jarman.
He won two gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics—back-to-back
Yulo's spectacular performance in the Men's Floor Exercise and Men's Vault earned him two Olympic Gold medal—making him the first Southeast Asian to win a top podium finish this season. With a final score of 15.000 for Floor Exercise and a 15.116 in Men's Vault, he bested athletes from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Iran, Armenia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Spain, and China—dubbing him the greatest Filipino gymnast of all time.
He most recently won multiple gold medals at the 2024 Asian Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from May 16 to 19, Yulo won his first continental championship all-around title at the 2024 Asian Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships while claiming three more gold medals in floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars.
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About
Gabriel found his passion for writing through poetry in high school. He sharpened his skills at Ateneo de Manila University and hopes to write a play worthy of Broadway one day. A self-proclaimed geek, he loves to spend his free time playing video games and board games. When he's not clicking heads on Valorant or roleplaying as a barbarian in Dungeons and Dragons, you can find him exploring art galleries or watching stage plays.
Work
A creative writer who writes about anything and everything, Gabriel loves to dive deep into the arts and culture scene—as well as going on long road trips for travel pieces.
You can reach him on Instagram at @gbohol for any leads, casual conversations or game invites.
