Carlos Yulo has finally utilized his extraordinary talent to its fullest.
The historic Filipino gymnast etched his name in the record books once again on Saturday, 3 August, by winning the gold medal in the men’s floor exercise final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Yulo scored a 15.000 after a flawless execution of his three-and-a-half twist dismount. Celebrating the moment on the podium, he raised both his fists in triumph, acknowledged the judges, saluted the fans, and placed his hands over his heart.
“I’m so overwhelmed. I’m feeling grateful for having this medal and for God. He protected me, as always,” he said afterward. “He gave me the strength to get through this kind of performance and perform this well.”
The silver medal went to Tokyo 2020 champion Artem Dolgopyat of Israel, who scored 14.966, while Great Britain’s Jake Jarman claimed the bronze with a 14.933.
This victory marks the first gymnastics medal of any color for the Philippines and their second Olympic gold ever, following Hidilyn Diaz’s win in the Women’s 55 kg weightlifting event in Tokyo.
Yulo’s triumph comes after years of struggle, including consistency issues and difficulties in delivering during critical moments, as seen in the last Games in Tokyo.
Despite breakthroughs like his first gold in the floor exercise at the 2019 World Championships, there have been setbacks, such as finishing last in the all-around during the qualifications at last year’s World Championships, where he recorded a 0.000 on the vault.
“I’m grateful for the people who really supported me. I could not do it without them,” Yulo said.