Karl Eldrew Yulo has turned the Batang Pinoy into his personal playground. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
There was really never any doubt that Karl Eldrew Yulo could be a dominating figure looming over the remaining of the sector in the continued 2023 Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy Games.
If there have been any skeptics in any respect, the 15-year-old brother of gymnastics world champion Carlos won them over on Wednesday.
Yulo swept all seven individual gold medals in men’s artistic gymnastics at Gymnastics Association of the Philippines in Intramuros, Manila, showcasing the abilities that prove he’s greater than just an athlete riding on the name of his way more illustrious kin.
“I’ve been doing these routines each day, so I actually feel comfortable each time I compete,’’ said Yulo in Filipino after a peerless conquest within the vault, still rings, floor exercise, high bar, parallel bars, pommel horse and the person all-around.
Yulo had pulled off similar feats within the Palarong Pambansa and the previous edition of the Batang Pinoy.
He’s a wise-money bet even on the international level, having captured 4 golds, one silver and a bronze from the recent 2023 JRC Stars Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
Yulo likewise got a silver in the boys’s junior vault throughout the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Singapore last September where his older brother two-time world champion Carlos won three golds, a silver and one bronze.
The one top podium he missed was the team event where technical officials haven’t decided yet if Yulo’s Manila squad must be rewarded with a gold.
“That is 12 months for me and I’m completely satisfied with the way in which I performed here. For now, I’ll just benefit from the Christmas season with family and friends before I am going back to training right after the vacations,’’ said Yulo.
With the Batang Pinoy now his own playground, Yulo could stretch his supremacy from the national youth games for 17- year-old and younger athletes to the senior level within the PNG starting on Thursday.
Next big thing
The younger Yulo is the following big thing in Philippine gymnastics after Carlos, who propelled himself to popularity after winning the ground exercise within the 2019 world championships in Stuttgart, Germany, and the vault within the 2021 worlds held in Japan.
“I feel he’s significantly better than his brother,’’ said Rodrigo Frisco, Eldrew’s grandfather who’s credited for encouraging Carlos to choose up the game.
Over at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex swimming pool, Arvin Naeem Taguinota II continued to create splashes along with his fourth gold within the weeklong sports fest.
Taguinota led the Pasig relay team to victory within the boys’ 12-under 200-m medley relay, increasing his golden hike following earlier gold medals within the 200-m individual medley, 50-m and 100-m backstroke.
In Tagaytay City, sisters Leila Anika and Jeanne Soleil Cervantes likewise secured gold medals for Parañaque City within the BMX girls 13-under and 14-15 division.
