The secret behind the Philippines' two historic gold medals at the Olympics

(VTC News) - Carlos Yulo helped Philippine sports make history at the Olympics when he became the first Southeast Asian athlete to win two individual gold medals at the Olympics.

The Philippines did not have any Olympic gold medals before 2020. However, up to now, the sports delegation that was not in the top 3 of the last 2 SEA Games has had the national anthem sung on the podium of the Olympics 3 times in the past 3 years. At Paris 2024 alone, the Philippines had 2 gold medals in 2 days - a feat created by Carlos Yulo. How can the Philippines find an Olympic champion that Southeast Asia has never had like Carlos Yulo? Training hard in Japan Carlos Yulo was born in the Philippines in 2000 and started practicing gymnastics at the age of 7. Not coming from a wealthy family, Yulo was exposed to gymnastics - a sport in the Philippines that was previously considered only for well-off families - when he was in elementary school. According to the Manila Times , the then president of the Philippine Gymnastics Association, Sotero Tejada, pushed for the inclusion of the sport in schools, believing that gymnastics was for everyone regardless of their status in life. Carlos Yulo's turning point came when he was discovered by Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya. The Japanese newspaper Asahi wrote: "When Yulo started gymnastics in his native Philippines, male gymnasts were rare and training conditions were extremely harsh. Not only did they lack the necessary equipment, but the training floor was also poor. Athletes had to practice every day in a gym that did not even have air conditioning. In 2013, while growing up in a difficult environment, Yulo met Munehiro Kugimiya, a Japanese coach in charge of training the Philippine national team in Manila. Mr. Kugimiya appreciated Yulo's talent and efforts."

Carlos Yulo wins gold medal at 2024 Olympics

" Yulo definitely has stronger legs than other athletes, but I think the most important thing is that he can train. I have a feeling that Yulo can train regularly. Kids with a certain level of ability can do things quickly. So it's often difficult for them to focus on one thing for a long time, but in Yulo's case, it's different," said coach Kugimiya. In 2016, coach Kugimiya took Yulo to Japan to train. In fact, Yulo accepted an invitation from the Japanese Olympic Federation to train here on a scholarship program. Yulo's mother was initially against him going to Japan, but she eventually cried and accepted her son's wish. At first, Yulo lived a closed life in Japan due to his lack of acquaintances . "Life in Japan is very difficult to adapt to. When I first went to school, I just sat there alone because I didn't understand the language ," said Yulo. After almost a year, Yulo couldn't focus on training because he felt homesick. " Yulo wasn't focused. Even when he went to the gym, he didn't practice, he just sat there staring. I think he missed home. Even when he was exhausted and crying, there was no one to talk to. It must have been hard when Yulo had no choice but to do gymnastics, " Coach Kugimiya shared. He made the decision to buy a plane ticket back to the Philippines for the athlete. "I thought it would be a shame to let Yulo break down so I bought him a plane ticket (to the Philippines). I thought it was best for him to go home," Coach Kugimiya said. Just before Yulo left, the two went out for ramen one last time. At that time, Yulo made a surprise announcement that he would stay in Japan. After that, Yulo started training seriously like a different person. And success began to come to the Filipino athlete. At the 2018 World Gymnastics Championships, Yulo won a bronze medal in the floor exercise final. This bronze medal opened the way for Yulo's future successes. Yulo is very grateful to Coach Kugimiya and said: " He is always with me every day, like a father. I am very grateful that Coach Kugimiya has done everything for me." . No official coach but still won the Olympic gold medal . It was quite unlucky for Yulo that 5 months before the Olympics, he did not have a coach. In October 2023, Yulo and coach Munehiro Kugimiya broke up. The reason was that Yulo wanted to leave Japan to return to the Philippines to live closer to his girlfriend Chloe San Jose. Yulo's next coach, Tomoharu Sano, suffered an injury that prevented him from leaving Tokyo. Soon after, Carlos Yulo received an invitation to train at Olympic athlete Lee Jun-ho's gym in Korea and then at the British gymnastics center. Despite not having an official coach, Yulo was assisted by former gymnastics coach Aldrin Castaneda and sports therapist Dr. Hazel Calawod.

Carlos Yulo burst into tears after winning his first gold medal at Paris 2024

Yulo said the two helped create the perfect balance between honing his technique and conditioning his body, while also teaching him how to better regulate his emotions – something that seemed to be lacking when Yulo was training in Tokyo. “When I didn’t get the results I wanted, I would get frustrated and angry. I wouldn’t talk to anyone. But my coaches taught me how to communicate better. They adjusted my mood and emotions during training. That was a huge help for me when I participated in the 2024 Olympics ,” Yulo said. With two Olympic gold medals, Carlos Yulo became the first male Filipino athlete to win the most gold medals in a single Olympics. With his first gold medal on August 3 in the floor exercise final, Yulo made history as the first male athlete from the Philippines to win an Olympic gold medal. It was also the first gold medal in gymnastics for the Philippines at the 2024 Olympics. In 2019, the Manila Times wrote that Yulo proved that even the poor can pursue gymnastics, a sport that is considered a sport for the rich. At Paris 2024, Yulo said he hopes his historic gold medal will open up opportunities for Filipino children to pursue gymnastics. “ I hope gymnastics in the Philippines will grow,” Yulo said.

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