Yulo begins road to Paris Olympics with Asian tiff in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines – World champion gymnast Carlos Yulo will take the first step toward making next year’s Paris Olympics as he sees action in the Asian Championships set June 10-18 in Singapore.

The 23-year-old Phnom Penh Southeast Asian Games gold medalist said Monday he would wage a battle in the individual all-around in the Singapore tilt, where he hopes to earn a spot to the World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium late this year.

And it is in Antwerp where he will try to earn his place in the Paris Games.

“Kailangan ko muna mag qualify sa World Championship in the individual all-around,” said Yulo in yesterday’s online briefer. “Meron din next year World Cup kung saan ang best three scores may mataas na puntos para ikaw makapili ng apparatus.”

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion said they would also send in whoever is ready from the national men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics team to accompany Yulo in Singapore.

“We’ll have a big team and send Miguel (Besana), the women’s team and whoever is ready, we’ll have qualifications,” said Carrion.

The Philippine team is riding high from its four-gold, two-silver and two-bronze harvest in the Phnom Penh Games that was fueled by Yulo’s pair of golden performances and triumphs by Besana and John Ivan Cruz.