Carlos Yulo's size is deceiving and lethal to those who underestimate his sheer will and talent. The pocket rocket could tear down the best of competition, like a slingshot he does everything from twirling and bending, his vertical mimics a slam dunk but with much bravado, creating a wave of oohs and aahs from the stands and his foes who are either amused or clueless on how this young man can put up a show of grace and unmatched skill against taller oppositions. Fondly called "Caloy", the 23-year-old wonder from Leveriza, Manila charmed the Filipinos anew after a fruitful 2022 campaign that saw him win multiple medals in international tilts. It was a revenge of sorts after a forgettable performance at the Tokyo Olympics where he was initially tagged as the heavy favorite to top the floor exercise. Clouded with emotions, eyes in pure grey, and his shoulders falling flat, he deemed it necessary to come back stronger and rebuild the name he carefully crafted through the years of training. Then came the payback. *Carlos Yulo is one of the country's best medal hopes in the Paris Olympics. (AFP)*
Armed to the teeth, Yulo soared and made it known that he was up for redemption. First was his domination in the 31st Southeast Asian games in Hanoi, Vietnam where he collected five golds and two silver medals. He bagged the top honors in his pet event floor exercise, vault, rings, horizontal bar and the all-around competition, and the runner-up finishes in parallel bars and team event. Not enough, Yulo followed it up with three gold medals and a silver at the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar. Against the heftier foes from Japan and China, he ruled the floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars, and also took home the all-around silver from the continental tiff. He was shining, he was focused, he meant business. His confidence was running high. There goes the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Liverpool, England, the tournament where he truly belonged, against the fiercest of competitors, against the pressure on his chest. Pitted on the same mat with champions, he never wavered. Yulo copped the silver in vault and bronze in parallel bars—another high on his career, a show of force, a reminder of how good he is, the best among the best, a Filipino treasure. Gymnastics is a demanding sport. An athlete should master six events: floor exercise, vault, parallel bars, high beam, rings, and pommel horse. The gifted few could sweep away the competitions while one could be lucky to even step on the podium. Yulo has trained for years in Japan under a scholarship. Away from his family, his mother Angelica and father Mark, Yulo veered away from the usual gigs of a teenager. He made gymnastics his sole religion, made it a vow to train six to eight hours a day, six days a week, all for his dream that he shares with the millions of Filipinos. His younger siblings follow the steps, too, with Karl Eldrew and Iza going through the same calling of gymnastics. Both were frequents in local competitions—a glance of how promising they are with the same recipe of success from the older Caloy. Certainly, there's no stopping for the gymnast. He recently won bronze in parallel bars in the World Cup Series in Cottbus, Germany, and a three-medal haul of gold in floor exercise, a silver in parallel bars, and a bronze in vault in the Doha edition of the same tournament that is being attended by the cream of crop of the sport. With Yulo redeeming himself from the misfortunes in Tokyo with a bucket of medals in 2022, he has pinned his target at winning the gold medal in the Paris Olympics next year. There's no better way of doing it but to return to the basic formula of a pure athlete: one who never gets tired of training and one who never ceases in praying. Together, Yulo has millions of our wishes, and he deserves our cheers in his battles. With a heart bigger than most of us, victory is always within reach. Keep inspiring us, Caloy!