Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo – from solo artist to boy group leader

"Gymnastics is not always fun 😅," posted Philippines artistic gymnast Carlos Yulo to Instagram at the 2022 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Liverpool, "and it’s not always about winning in the competition."

The 23-year-old's caption referenced errors made in the all-around and floor exercise finals in the UK last October, which dropped him from potential podium spots. The comment could equally apply to the 2023 edition in Antwerp, Belgium 12 months on.

On one of his favoured apparatus, the vault, in which he was expected to comfortably make the final, Yulo scored 0.000 after landing flat on his back after attempting a piked handspring double front.

Disoriented, Yulo stood up, uninjured, and presented to the judges, his mind no doubt whirring with what went wrong.

Padding slowly back up the runway, puffs of chalk with every footfall, Yulo's second vault still needed to be performed but, as it turned out, was necessary only for Yulo's own peace of mind in literally getting straight back on the horse.

Completed safely, the Manila-man, who has given so much joy to his nation over the years with his breakthrough gymnastics performances, still qualified for the floor final with the third highest score. With that result, Yulo also obtained a quota berth for Philippines for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games courtesy of being the only athlete in the apparatus final who has not already qualified a berth for their nation via other routes.

It was due to the Paris 2024 qualification opportunity that the 23-year-old had opted to compete in Antwerp rather than at the rescheduled Asian Games in Hangzhou, so main mission accomplished.

But the man nicknamed Carloy did not make the all-around final, where he was expected to challenge for a first ever World medal in the event for Philippines, following the error on vault and an additional problem on the pommel horse.

"It’s all about standing up after that fall," Yulo continued in the post from 2022. "To give your all till the dismount, to not give up on what you love, to search for ways to improve and to not lose to yourself in every day training. I mean this is definitely not easy but this is my lifestyle."

• As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
• Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.

Carlos Yulo's gymnastics lifecycle

Yulo's lifestyle has been dictated from an early age by his gymnastics pedigree, which has led to trailblazing results including Philippines' first ever World medal, bronze on floor at the 2018 championship, upgraded to world champion the following year.

These results came after Yulo had left his homeland in 2016, aged 16, when he was offered a place on the scholarship programme of the Japan Olympic Association.

A longed-for Olympic medal eluded him at Tokyo 2020 with fourth place on vault his best result at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre so qualification for the Games in France next year offers another opportunity for history-making results.

"The goal is to get a gold medal in Paris Olympics," Yulo told Olympics.com at the Southeast Asian Games in May. "It would be good in the individual all-around but it depends. I’m going to do my best in three events – especially floor, vault and parallel bars."

The comment about 'not losing yourself in everyday training' likely reveals part of the reason for Yulo's switch to training back in Manila just three months before the 2023 Worlds.

“Carlos has improved a lot in Japan and learned skills that others cannot," said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion-Norton of Yulo's seven years away from home. "But I think he can perform better if he’s happy. And he’s happy whenever his friends and family are around.

“While we want Carlos to qualify for the Olympics and win a medal," she continued, "we also want to focus on his personality and well-being."

• Carlos Yulo, the Philippines artistic gymnast aiming for Olympic perfection by learning from his 'failures'

Childhood friends play vital role in Carlos Yulo's wellbeing

The friends to whom Carrion-Norton refers include Yulo's lifelong buddies and gymnastics teammates, Juancho Miguel Besana and Ivan Cruz with whom Yulo competed in the team event at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, claiming silver behind Vietnam.

"I’m with them since I was seven years old so we’re not like a team, we’re like family and brothers," Yulo told Olympics.com.

"It’s really different when I do it by myself like individual all-around; the team competition really hypes me up and the atmosphere as well, I really loved it," he said of the SEA Games experience.

Yet despite competing on one of the biggest stages of all, Yulo was initially hesitant at the Phnom Penh-hosted multi-sport event.

"At first, especially in rings, I was really nervous, my legs are shaking, but I managed to do it, so I was really happy because this is the starter for me," he smiled. "But afterwards I thought I’m going to be fine, I felt like I could do it."

Asked why he was so nervous when he had so much experience, Yulo replied: "I don’t really know. Maybe because it’s a team competition. Maybe if it’s all-around I’ll be fine, but because I don’t want to mess up."

That additional pressure of not wanting to let his teammates down takes some getting to used to for Yulo who competes on the World and Olympic stage alone... so far. He and his teammates hope to change that soon.

"It’s a big help to have him in our team and to be able to train alongside him because it’s a big motivation to be able to be an Olympian and a world champion medallist," Besana told Olympics.com at the SEA Games after securing the vault title. "It’s inspiring to be able to compete and train with him.”

Besana, who would have competed at the 2023 Worlds with Yulo if he wasn't already leading the team at the delayed Asian Games, acknowledged that the longevity of their relationships means there's no awkward dynamic within the group in regard to Yulo's success. On the contrary: "It’s not that we see him as someone who is higher than us. He’s one of us as a team. It’s very fun to be with him.”

For Yulo, there's a simple yet important benefit of returning home. “It boosts my personality and character whenever I train with the team," said Yulo of his brotherhood of Manila. "I want to share my experiences, and motivate them that they can also do it."

• The apparatus finals at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships take place on Saturday 7 October and Sunday 8 October.