ASIAN GAMES: Asian Games gold gives Philippines gymnast Yulo redemption

Philippines gymnast Carlos Yulo said winning the Asian Games floor exercise gold on Thursday felt like another Olympic triumph, elevated by redemption after he buried the disappointment of Jakarta 2018.

Yulo, the only Filipino to win two Olympic gold medals, added another major title to his collection with a score of 14.666 at the Nagoya City General Gymnasium, edging Kazakh runner-up Milad Karimi (14.600) and Japan's bronze-medal winner Shoma Tsukiyama (14.566) in the tightest of podiums.

It came eight years after Yulo missed out on the medals in his only previous Asian Games in Indonesia when he fell in a tumbling pass and crashed to seventh after being the top qualifier for the floor final.

"This medal, it's like winning the Olympics, also because it's kind of the same back when I was 18 years old, at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games," the 26-year-old said.

"I kind of messed up my routine there. I was a finalist on floor and vault, but it wasn't really a good performance.

"And at the same time in Tokyo Olympics, it's kind of the same. It was really messed up," added Yulo, who failed to qualify for the floor final at those Games.

"It's really a good story, and I feel like I redeemed it in this competition."

ROAD TO LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS

Yulo has come a long way since those setbacks, becoming his nation's first Olympic gymnastics champion when he won the floor title at Paris 2024 before adding a second gold in vault.

Yulo said the Asian gold was another milestone on the long road to defending his titles at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, though his focus was on staying healthy and enjoying his sport.

"That's a big one, and I feel like there's still a lot of time," he said of Los Angeles.

"I'm preparing myself right now. This competition is part of it also, and I'm building my confidence also through these competitions.

"I know when the time comes when we are there, I just pray that I'm safe, and I enjoy that moment and I appreciate that moment."

Yulo's 18-year-old brother Karl Eldrew also qualified for the Nagoya final and finished seventh out of eight after a messy landing early in his routine.

His older brother may be the ultimate role model in rebounding from setbacks.

"He's having a hard time, maybe, and I know that he will overcome this and take it as a lesson. It's part of the journey," said Carlos Yulo.

The Japan-trained gymnast's celebrity has reached a point in the Philippines where his every movement draws a crowd, much like the nation's top women's tennis player, Alex Eala, who will bid for Asian Games gold next week.

"I know she's going to smash it," said Yulo, offering best wishes to the 21-year-old.

"I know she can do it, really. And I'm just really excited for other athletes also to compete and give their best."

-Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters