No home leave for Caloy

TOKYO – Caloy Yulo hasn’t been home since early last year and it doesn’t look like he’s coming back any time soon. After nearly landing a podium finish in the vault final at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre here the other night, Yulo said he’s staying in the Japanese capital to train even harder for the World Championships in October. He relocated in 2017 to train with coach Munehiro Kugimiya and study at Teikyo University.

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion asked Yulo what she could bring to his folks as pasalubong and all he wished for was a fridge magnet, never imposing, always humble. “If Caloy comes home, he’ll quarantine 10 days then when he returns to Tokyo, another 10 days so it’s too much training time lost,” she said. “I expected a medal finish in floor more than in vault. But when Caloy went out there, he wasn’t the same Caloy. If I, as a spectator, was tense, what more Caloy? He needs to be stronger mentally.”

Carrion said at 21, Yulo has a long way to go. “Gymnasts peak at 25,” she said. “In Paris three years from now, Caloy will be ready to take the gold. In vault, he could’ve even taken a silver. He came close to a podium finish and vault isn’t even his best event.”

Yulo was the youngest in the eight-man final cast. Gold medalist Shin Jeahwan of South Korea is 23, silver medalist Denis Abliazin of Russia is 29 and bronze medalist Artur Davtyan of Armenia is 29. A costly .1 deduction dropped his score to 14.566 in the first jump but he made up for it by registering 14.866 in his second. It was the highest score of all in the second jump. Without the deduction, Yulo would’ve tallied 14.766, good for bronze. Kugimiya said if not for the foot fault in landing off the mat, he would’ve had a chance even for the gold. The first thing Kugimiya told Yulo after the two vaults was “good job.” Kugimiya said Yulo will be back to strike gold in 2024.

“Nakakapanghinayang,” said Yulo. “This makes me more motivated to train harder.” IOC executive board member Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski phoned Yulo after the competition to lift his spirits. “Sobrang proud kami lahat sa ‘yo,” she said. Yulo was consoled by words of encouragement from Jaworski, Carrion and PSC chief of staff and national training director Marc Velasco.

“I’ll sit down with PSC chairman (Butch) Ramirez when we get back and discuss how we can build a Team Caloy like a Team Hidilyn (Diaz),” said Carrion. “Caloy already has coach Mune and a physiotherapist (Jumpei Konne). Maybe, we can bring in Dr. Karen Trinidad as sports psychologist and nutritionist Jeaneth Aro to work with Caloy and a medical doctor from Japan. I’m sure Caloy is disappointed but this will drive him to be better next time, coming so close to a podium finish in his first Olympics.”