Karl Eldrew Yulo delivered strong, composed routines in three apparatuses to advance to the finals of the floor exercise, vault, and horizontal bar, eventually finishing 15th overall in the men’s individual all-around qualifiers of the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Championships late Thursday at the Manila Marriott Hotels Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.
Performing before an energized hometown crowd, the 17-year-old rising star electrified the venue with a polished floor routine reminiscent of his older brother, 2019 world champion Carlos Edriel Yulo. Eldrew posted 14.233 points to secure second place behind AIN’s Arsenii Dukhno, who led the field with 14.500.
He stayed sharp in the vault, averaging 13.750 points from two attempts to land in fifth place, before clinching another finals berth in the horizontal bar with a 13.700 tally—again finishing fifth.
Yulo came close to a fourth finals appearance in the parallel bars but faltered on his dismount, landing on his backside and absorbing a costly 1.434 deduction. That error sent him down to 28th with 12.666 points in the event supported by the Office of the President, Philippine Sports Commission, and PAGCOR.
Adding his scores in the pommel horse (11.333, 58th) and rings (12.20, 27th), Yulo amassed 78.332 points—good enough for 15th overall and a spot in today’s individual all-around final.
With additional contributions from Batang Pinoy standouts CJ Pernia (64.40) and Hilarion Palles III (60.831), who competed with just two weeks of preparation, the host Philippine squad placed 24th among 36 entries with 143.962 points. The meet is also backed by Newport World Resorts and Milo.
The Philippine girls’ team—Elisabeth Antone, Sabina Tayag, Maxine Bondoc, and Jellian Bantilan—was slated to compete late Friday in the tournament organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines and sanctioned by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
For Yulo, advancing to multiple finals was a personal goal realized—but far from the finish line.
“Natupad yung wish ko, pero hindi pa tapos ang trabaho. Gagalingan ko pa and I’ll give my 100 percent in all the finals I’m entered in,” he said.
He also drew strength from the presence of his complete family, including brothers Joriel and Carlos and youngest sibling Aiza, who filled the venue with support.
“Una sa lahat, nagpapasalamat ako kay Lord sa blessing na ‘to. At tulad ng suporta nila kay Kuya Caloy noong 2019 SEA Games, ngayon naman ako ang todo nilang sinamahan,” Yulo added.
