TOKYO - The Philippines' Carlos Yulo fell just short of a podium finish in the vault finals of men's gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing fourth on Tuesday night at the Ariake Gymnasium.
Yulo, 21, put together a total of 14.176 points with his two jumps on the strength of a gallant second jump that netted him a 14.866 - the second best in a program that had the eight finalists putting in two jumps each.
That effort, however, fell just .017 points off the bronze-medal winning 14.733 points of Armenia's Artur Davtyan and .067 behind gold winner Shin Jea Hwan of Korea and silver medalist Denis Abliazin of the Russian Olympic Commitee (both 14.783).
"Sobrang lapit ko na po, pero hindi ko pa naabot," said Yulo, the reigning world champion in the floor evercise who qualified instead for the vault finals where he was the decided underdog. "Kaya nakakapanghinayang."
The Manila-born gymnast, however, put up a brave effort when a 14.566 first jump left him out of a podium finish, nailung a Dragulescu - a handspring double front with half turn- that put him in medal contention.
In the end, Yulo was left to rue a bad landing at the end of his first jump - a López roundoff, back handspring with half turn entry- where he stepped sideways out of the mat that he said cost him the medal.
"Sayang po yon, kasi maganda po ang second jump ko," said Yulo, who ended up in a tie for fourth with a second Russian entry in Nikita Nagornyy.
The vault finals left Yulo without a medal after spending two years of training in Japan for this Olympics, but he vowed to be better when he gives the Games another shot three years from now in Paris.
"Hindi po ako susuko," he said.
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