Yulo shines with six-gold sweep; Villaran is Palaro track king

MANILA, Philippines — Karl Eldrew Yulo crowned himself the king of this year’s Palarong Pambansa after sweeping all six gold medals in the men’s artistic gymnastics yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The 15-year-old younger brother of world champion Carlos Yulo ruled the horizontal bar (9.000), floor exercise (13.500), vault (13.95) and mushroom (9.250) to emerge the most bemedalled athlete in the annual multi-sports meet with six gold medals.

Yulo also topped the individual all-around as well as the team event with King Cjay Pernia and Hillarion Palles in the qualifying stage Wednesday and went into the finals heavily favored to win the four apparatuses.

He did.

“Naging madali dahil medyo advanced na ako sa skills at medyo madali na gumawa ng routine,” said Yulo. “Medyo pressured rin dahil natatakot po ako magkamali sa harap ng tao, baka mapahiya ako dahil mataas expectation ng mga tao sa akin.”

It was Yulo’s best performance in the meet since snaring five mints in the elementary boys division in Davao four years ago.

The incoming Grade 10 Adamson student also bid goodbye to the Palaro as he would now focus on bigger competitions ahead where he has a chance to achieve greater heights just like his more renowned sibling.

“Super happy that I won at the same time malungkot dahil last ko na dito,” said Yulo.

Over at the Marikina Sports Complex, Mico Villaran of Western Visayas emerged the best at the track as he copped his fourth gold by anchoring his team of Reezy John de Asis, Kent Paul Burdan and Earl Kieth Servano to the secondary boys 4x100m relay gold  in 43.18 seconds.

The 16-year-old product of Romanito Maravilla High in Bacolod also reigned supreme in 110m hurdles, 200m and 400m hurdles.

In swimming, Davao’s Paolo Miguel Labanon joined the quadruple gold club after he topped the secondary boys 800m freestyle in eight minutes and 52.03 seconds.