No rest for the triumphant
NAGOYA—More than winning a second gold after another spectacular triumph, Carlos Yulo is leaving the 20th Asian Games with momentum and a renewed fire for the next two major battlegrounds he wants to conquer again.
Three weeks from now, the two-time Paris Olympics gold medalist will travel to Rotterdam in the Netherlands for the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, where the best of his kind are likewise coming in sharp as they all prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
“This Asian Games will remind me of what I can do when I’m in good shape,” Yulo said after a golden effort in the vault on Friday that made him account for both Philippine golds thus far. “The world championship is where I test if this level [of performance on the Asian level] can hold [up] against the world again.”
Simply dominant
By becoming a double gold medalist here, Yulo’s campaign has transformed into a statement of dominance.
After conquering the floor exercise two days ago, the Filipino gymnastics marvel doubled down with a masterful performance in the men’s vault final on Friday, securing the title with a sharp, controlled average of 14.599 built on power and precision.
Yulo launched into his spectacular first vault, a 14.733 built on a 5.6 difficulty and a crisp 9.133 execution. With the tension broken, Yulo sealed the gold with a clean, confident second vault at 14.466, outlasting Iran’s Mahdi Olfati and Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Ki.
Two golds down and finally completing his collection of regional championships, Asia’s finest is now turning his gaze towards Rotterdam.
The World Championships on Oct. 17 to 25 will be Yulo’s next proving ground. It’s a stage where he has claimed glory three times, and a stage that now serves as a crucial prelude to his long-term Olympic mission.
“This tournament will show me where I stand heading into LA 2028,” he said. “I’m coming in fully prepared, determined to deliver my best performance.”
His training team, led by coach Aldrin Castañeda with physiotherapist Bethel Solano and assistant Josh Garcia, has been tightening every detail of his routines.
The vault and floor exercise, where he also struck gold in Paris 2024, remain his strongest weapons. But Rotterdam will demand more consistency across apparatuses and the ability to regain peak form in a short turnaround time.
For Yulo, the Asian Games and the World Championships are not isolated tournaments. They are stepping stones toward the next Olympic gold—or more—he wants to claim in Los Angeles.
“Of course, I want to win again in the Olympics. LA 2028 is always in my mind,” Yulo said. “Every competition before that is part of the journey.”
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