CARLOS “Caloy” Yulo is eyeing nothing less than a third world title. But first things first, the pocket-sized wonder from Leveriza, Manila would have to qualify via the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships slated for June 15 to 18 in Doha, Qatar.
“Yes, the Doha event serves as a World Championship qualifier,” said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion.
The 22-year-old Mr. Yulo will spearhead the Philippine team also composed of John Ivan Cruz, Juancho Miguel Besana, Justine Ace de Leon, Jan Gwynn Timbang and John Matthew Vergara, who all teamed up with the former in snaring the men’s team all-around silver medal in last month’s Hanoi Southeast Asian Games.
It was one of the medals that Mr. Yulo plucked to complete a fantastic five-gold, two-silver haul.
Ms. Carrion herself will be accompanying the group along with a coaching staff consisting of Munehiro Kugiyama, Reyland Capella and Jumpei Konno when they fly to Doha on Sunday.
Unless disaster struck, Mr. Yulo is expected to breeze through qualification being a two-time world champion in floor exercise in Stuttgart, Germany in 2019 and in vault in Kitakyushu, Japan last year.
The World Championships is set Oct. 29 to Nov. 6 in Liverpool, England this year.
And there is hope Mr. Yulo brings with him the whole team too. — Joey Villar