‘Mamba’ fan Yulo clinches world championships vault gold
Carlos Yulo missed out on a gold in a previous final. He wasn’t going to miss again on Saturday.
He launched into a piked handspring double front half before sticking his landing. The judges rewarded him with a 15.20, including a 0.20 stick bonus, for the vault, which Yulo capped by putting a finger to his lips, as if to silence doubters.
“That was unconscious and spontaneous,” the two-gold winner in the Paris Olympics said of the gesture he made after landing. “I am truly a fan of Kobe [Bryant, the late basketball legend] and I like his ‘Black Mamba’ mentality, his mental strength. I think I saw him doing that to silence the crowd at an Olympic basketball game.”
The day before, Yulo had settled for bronze in the floor exercise. On this final day of the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, he was determined not to leave empty-handed again.
His second vault, a 14.533, brought his average to 14.886. With five contenders left, the Filipino had to watch and wait.
Veteran Armenian Artur Davtyan—Olympic silver medalist behind Yulo—posted a strong 14.800 on his first vault and a 14.866 on his second. But his average of 14.833 fell short by the slimmest of margins: just 0.033 points.
Only then did Yulo allow himself to pump his fists in triumph.
“I am just grateful that I am here,” Yulo said quietly. “To win the gold in the vault and bronze in the floor is still satisfying and I owe it all to God.”
The win marked Yulo’s second vault gold after topping the event in 2021 in Kitakyushu and his third world title overall, including the floor gold in 2019 in Stuttgart. It was a strong return from last year’s world championships in Antwerp, where he left medal-less.
“I was really crying when I finally saw that Carlos had won,” said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion. “His hard work all paid off.”
Coach Nadel Alyousef, who joined the Philippine team in April, saw more than just redemption.
“I believe Yulo was eyeing revenge from the previous day’s loss and he went all out,” Alyousef said. “His next challenge is to become a world-class all-around gymnast.”
In Manila, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio called Yulo a “national treasure.”
“He continues to excite our countrymen on the world stage,” he said. “With the nations’ full support, I’m sure our two-time Olympic champion will make us proud over and over.” —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER SPORTS DESK
