CARLOS Yulo made everything moot and academic.
The one-of-a-kind gymnast made history as the first-ever Filipino athlete to win two gold medals in the Olympics in a fitting highlight to the country’s century of participation in the Paris Games.
Yulo, 24, scored the rare golden double by topping the men’s floor exercise and vault, respectively, and became a no-brainer of a choice as the 2024 Athlete of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA).
SOTY 2024: Carlos Yulo is SPIN.ph Sportsman of the Year
He will be feated in the PSA Awards Night on Jan. 27 at the grand ballroom of the Manila Hotel.
Yulo became the first gymnast since young Pia Adelle Reyes in 1997 to be recognized as Athlete of the Year by the country’s oldest media organization in its traditional gala night backed by San Miguel Corporation.
The NSA of the Year, major awardees in other sports, President’s Award, Executive of the Year, Citations, Tony Siddayao Awards, as well as the Hall of Fame and Special Recognition to Filipino Olympians – the Paris Olympics and Paralympics included – will be handed out in the event recognizing the best in Philippines sports for the year 2024.
“From a great Olympic performance to an even greater Olympic show, and from one big breakthrough to an even bigger breakthrough – thanks to Carlos Yulo whose giant feat we will celebrate in handling him our highest accolades,” said PSA President Nelson Beltran, sports editor of The Philippine Star.
Yulo’s triumph was a fitting follow-up to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz ending the country’s search for its first Olympic gold during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when she triumphed in the women’s 55kg class final in dramatic fashion.
Ironically, it was in the same Japanese capital where the gymnast from Leveriza, Manila had his first taste of Olympic competition, eventually only qualifying in the men’s vault final and falling short of a podium finish.
Three years later, Yulo was back with a vengeance.
After a disappointing finish in the floor exercise at the Tokyo Games, Yulo emerged on top of his pet event by compiling a scoring total of 15.000 points, beating reigning champion Artem Dolgopyat of Israel (14.966) for the Philippines’ first gold in Paris.
The euphoria of becoming the first Filipino gymnast to win an Olympic gold had yet to die down when Yulo added another mint to his collection by ruling the men’s vault final with a 15.116 total over Arthur Davtyan of Armenia (14.966).
By rewriting history, Yulo lined himself up as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Filipino athletes of all time.
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