Yulo bakes failure into game plan as LA approaches
Carlos Yulo is looking at one thing to help him strike gold anew in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games: Failure.
“I encourage myself to fail repeatedly as I try new skills. The most valuable lessons are learned through failure,” said Yulo in Filipino.
And as counterintuitive as that may sound, it’s not a new concept. Irish author Samuel Beckett immortalized it in one of his works, where he wrote: “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” And the corporate world has often adhered to the philosophy of “fail and fail fast” to stay in pace with fast-changing technological trends.
With the LA Games just three years away, Yulo is embracing failure as part of his process.
After making history by clinching two gold medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics, one in vault and the other in floor exercise, Yulo wants to outdo himself in the City of Angels.
The two-time world champion will test his philosophy soon as he hopes to flaunt an upgraded routing in his next big tournament, the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta from October 19 to October 25.
Yulo will also see action in the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand at the end of the year.
“These tournaments are stepping stones for me to achieve my goal (in the LA Olympics). For upgrades, I’m looking at higher levels of difficulty and efficient routines, so I’m really excited,” said Yulo.
Returning to competitive action for the first time since the Summer Games in Paris, the 4-foot-11 dynamo won the floor exercise gold at the recent Asian championships in Jecheon, South Korea, after being out of the mat for nine months.
“Performing again for the first time, I was very nervous and scared but at the same time excited. It’s good to be back and I’m taking it slowly,” said Yulo, who likewise brought home three bronze medals in the vault, parallel bars and all-around during the continental meet.
