Carlos Yulo intends to keep his full focus on the World Artistic Gymnastics in Belgium in September - the only qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics this year - as he opted out of the 2023 Asian Games. *Carlos Yulo answers questions from the press during a media conference Friday, June 23. (Arnold Quizol)*

The two-time world champion and Tokyo Olympian said he didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to secure a berth for the Paris Games this year and wait out for the next shot when he could be using that time to prepare. Yulo is coming off another impressive performance in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics, where he emerged as the best male gymnast for the second consecutive edition. The 23-year-old Yulo had a big medal haul after collecting three gold medals for his performance in floor exercise, vault and parallel bars, one silver in the men’s all-around and one bronze in the horizontal bar. “Siyemre mas pinili ko ‘yong world championships kasi gusto ko mag-qualify sa Olympics this year,” Yulo said. Yulo himself said that he has full confidence in his teammates as the fate of the country’s men’s gymnastics in the Asiad now rests on Miguel Besana and his cousin Ivan Cruz, who won gold medals in vault and floor exercise, respectively, in the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. Come the world championships, Yulo would need to finish as one of the eight highest-ranked male all-around gymnasts to earn his place in the Olympics. The Asian Games, which will be hosted by China from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 coincides with the Sept. 30 to Oct. 8 schedule of the World Championships. While Yulo wants to redeem himself in the Asian Games after his dismal performance in 2018 in Indonesia, where he went home empty-handed, a spot in the Olympics trumps that desire. “Sa paparating na World Championships, hindi magiging madali makapag-qualify sa Olympics. Kasi last year, 12 members ‘yong kailangan. Bumaba ng eight,” he said. “Mas magfo-focus ako na makapag-qualify sa all-around kaysa sa event finals. Kasi gusti kong mas maging relaxed pagdating doon sa event finals para makakuha ako ng medals,” he added.