By Paris
CNN
—
Carlos Edriel Yulo might have only been an inch or two taller than his rivals when he stood in the center of the podium Saturday afternoon, but he had just accomplished something that put him head and shoulders above any man from his nation who’d ever competed at the Olympics.
With his victory in the men’s floor exercise final, Yulo on Saturday became the first Filipino man ever to win an Olympic gold medal, the first Filipino to win any medal in gymnastics and the second Filipino to ever win a gold medal.
“We are a really small country and the portion of athletes is not the same as the US or UK, so to be able to get a gold medal is really big for us,” he said after. “I dedicate this to the Filipinos who supported me. I’m really grateful to them. I want to say thank you for watching and praying for me throughout the competition.”
And while the six-time world champion has made a lot of history for his country, it still seemed like long odds for the Manila native to be standing on that center podium with gold around his neck.
Just before the 2023 World Championships, Yulo and his longtime coach Munehiro Kugiyama decided to part ways. Since then, Yulo has worked without a coach and instead has bounced around the world to train with some of the best athletes in his sport. When he’s not traveling, he’s returned to Manila – a move he’s credited with making him feel more connected with his Filipino teammates.
But those teammates were not on the floor with him on Saturday. Instead it was just the 24-year-old, flipping, twisting and soaring above the floor at the Bercy Arena in Paris.
He hardly put a foot wrong from the start, his powerful strides making him appear to glide across the mat and then his explosive twists and flips made it seem like he was a threat to simply burst through the roof and ascend into the clouds.
It was a tone-setting performance that the rest of the field simply could not match. But Yulo was still forced to sit as performer after performer took to the floor, trying to knock him off the top of the leaderboard.
But each failed. His score of 15.000 was enough. And the moment hit him like a ton of bricks.
Hugely emotional in the moments after winning, Yulo let out an almighty roar and broke into tears. He pumped his fists and, despite that history-making pedigree, looked completely overwhelmed by what he had just done.
That didn’t change when he took to the podium to receive the first gold medal ever put around a Filipino man’s neck.
With the medal hanging above his chest – it’s reportedly very heavy thanks to the piece of the Eiffel Tower that is inlaid in every medal at these Games – Yulo raised his hands above his head in triumph. But his eyes were still full of disbelief, and he looked at his medal like it might be taken away from him at any moment.
Oh, and he’ll get a house from the government for his achievement. Not a bad Saturday.
“I know that already (that I am going to get a house). But this (pointing at his gold medal) is what really matters to me. My hard work and the people who really helped me. My success is also their success,” he said. “I’m so grateful for this experience and to be able to compete in this competition. I am happy that I won a gold medal and also a house.”
