THOUGH bummed that he won’t be competing in the Asian Games, Carlos Yulo said it is in his best interest to skip the quadrennial event to be held in Hangzhou, China.
Yulo said he is keen on qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics through the World Championships to be held from September 29 to October 8 rather than compete for a spot in next year’s qualifying tournaments.
The worlds to be held in Antwerp, Belgium will coincide with the Asiad, which will run from September 23 to October 8.
READ: Carlos Yulo begs off from Asian Games
The Philippine Olympic Committee previously suggested that Yulo skip the worlds, the first of many Olympic qualifiers for Paris, and instead compete in the Asiad where a bounty of medals and incentives could be in store for the Filipino gymnast.
“Siyempre pipiliin ko ‘yung world championships para makapag-qualify sa Olympics nang hindi po ako ma-hassle next year. Okay na po na ganun ‘yung pinili ko,” said Yulo during a press conference organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines following the team’s successful campaign in the Asian Championships in Singapore.
Other Asian nations have the same predicament, with their top gymnasts taking the same route as Yulo in their quest to secure an Olympic berth in France.
Yulo, however, said he would have wanted to see action in the Asiad to atone for a forgettable Games debut in 2018 in Jakarta where he ended up just seventh in the floor exercise after topping the qualification phase.
“Siyempre nanghihinayang po ako kasi ‘yung last Asian Games ko sa Indonesia, grabe ‘yung pagkakalat ko doon. Gusto ko sanang bumawi. Kaso nga lang po, magkasabay po ‘yung world championships and Asian Games,” said Yulo.

With Yulo out, the Philippine men’s artistic gymnastics team will lean on John Ivan Cruz and Miguel Besana for the medals following their golden performances in the Southeast Asian Games.
Cruz and Besana won the floor and vault titles, events where Yulo had won gold in previous SEA Games competitions.
Yulo likes the chances of his teammates in the Asian Games.
“Hindi ko po masasabing hindi sila mahihirapan kasi kahit hindi pupunta ‘yung Team A ng China, Japan, malalakas pa rin po sila. Pero hindi ko rin sinasabi na wala ring tsansang kumuha ng medal especially sa floor. Sobrang laki ng chance namin na magkamedal,” said Yulo.
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