THE PHILIPPINES finished sixth in the men’s team all-around event on Wednesday, but Carlos Yulo showed fine form ahead of the apparatus finals of the 20th Asian Games artistic gymnastics competitions.
Carlos Yulo led the Philippines to a total score of 227.359, way behind podium finishers China (255.095), Japan (253.826), and Chinese Taipei (239.896) at the end of the team event at Nagoya General Gymnasium Rainbow Hall.
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But Yulo provided a promising outlook of his gold medal hopes, topping the floor exercise during the team all-around final with a score of 14.266, with Japan star Daiki Hashimoto of Japan standing as his closest pursuer with 14.000.
The reigning Olympic champion will be back on Thursday for the floor exercise final where he is in line to win the Philippines’ first gold medal at the 20th Asiad - and the first of Yulo's career.
Yulo collected a competition-high 5.7 difficulty score and an 8.666 execution score in his floor exercise routine, his score reduced by 0.1 after a penalty for stepping outside the competition area.
The 26-year-old also had a decent score in the vault, finishing fourth in the team all-around competition with a score of 14.566, behind Hashimoto (14.833), Zhang Boheng of China (14.733), and Ryu Sunghyun of Korea (14.600).
Unlike in his first of two vaults during the individual all-around qualification, Yulo landed cleanly, drawing 9.400 points on the execution score and 5.2 on the difficulty score. Yulo was visibly elated after completing his routine in the vault, a positive sign ahead of the final in that apparatus on Friday.
Yulo placed in a tie for fifth with Zhang in the parallel bars with a score of 14.166, another apparatus that he will be vying for a gold medal on Friday.
Yulo had a 13.333 in the rings.
Eldrew Yulo recorded 13.000 in the floor, 11.366 in the pommel horse, 12.233 in the rings, 13.966 in the vault, 11.933 in the parallel bars, and 13.166 in the high bar.
The younger Yulo will also be in the finals of the floor exercise and high bar.
Ace De Leon scored 10.933 in the floor exercise, 12.533 in the rings, and 13.833 in the vault; Miguel Besana had an 11.933 in the pommel horse, 10.000 in the parallel bars, and 11.733 in the high bar; and Zachary Nunez had 12.333 in the pommel horse and 12.066 in the high bar.
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