MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines missed out on a couple of potential gold medals in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China after Carlos Yulo skipped it in favor of the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Yulo hopes to validate that decision as he looks to earn a spot in the Paris Games next year through the global gymnastics showdown set in Antwerp, Belgium starting on Saturday, September 30.

A world champion in floor exercise and vault, the Filipino star needs to finish as one of the eight highest-ranked eligible gymnasts in the men’s all-around qualification to clinch his Olympic berth.

China, Japan, and Great Britain already qualified full teams of five gymnasts for Paris through the previous world championships, giving Yulo an easier path to the Olympics.

If all things go to plan, Yulo will become the second Filipino to qualify for Paris after pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who owned the spotlight on Saturday when he captured the Philippines’ breakthrough gold in the Asian Games.

Once he gets his Olympic mission accomplished, Yulo sets his sights on adding more medals to his world championship haul.

The gymnast from Manila has won world titles in floor exercise in 2019 and vault in 2021 on top of two silvers and two bronzes he bagged since the 2018 edition.

It is not just Yulo, though, representing the Philippines as Aleah Finnegan and Kylee Kvamme compete in the women’s all-around.

Finnegan and Kvamme aim to advance, with the top 24 in the all-around and top 8 in each apparatus qualifying for the finals.

– Rappler.com