By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The future looks bright for Karl Eldrew Yulo after he captured the bronze medal in the floor exercise in the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships at the Newport World Resorts in Pasay City on Sunday, Nov. 23.
The 17-year-old wunderkind impressed the judges with his grace and execution, scoring 13.733 to finish behind eventual gold medalist Yang Lanbin of China and silver winner Simone Speranza of Italy.
Yang, who clinched the individual all-around bronze medal the previous day, wowed the crowd with a 13.833 performance, while Speranza posted 13.766 — a significant jump from his seventh-place finish in the qualifiers.
Competing second among the eight finalists, Yulo delivered 8.433 on execution from a 5.300-difficulty routine. Though it was below his qualifying mark of 14.233 that placed him second, it was enough to secure a podium finish.
“I really don’t know what to say. It’s not just any competition, so nakakaiyak,” said a tearful Yulo.
“Siguro na mag-start ang journey ko. Marami pang dadaanang disappointment at happiness, but for now, sobrang saya ko po,” he added.
Yulo admitted he was not 100 percent after spraining his right ankle during the individual all-around finals the day before that earned him an impressive eighth place finish.
“Medyo masakit pa rin po, pero inilaban po natin. We’re Filipino. We’ll fight until the end,” he said.
However, not one from eighth finalists was able to breach the 14.000-mark.
Suspense filled the venue after the final performer, top qualifier Arsenii Dukhno, took the floor. The Russian, coming off a gold-medal performance in the individual all-around, faltered in his routine and incurred a 0.100 penalty, dropping him to fourth place with 13.633.
This bronze is Yulo’s biggest victory to date as he continues to carve his own name in the sport dominated by his older brother, 2024 Paris Olympics double gold medalist Carlos Yulo.
Prior to his breakthrough performance, he captured the vault gold medal at the 2024 Junior Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and earned silver in the same apparatus at the 2023 Singapore and 2025 Jecheon Asian meets.
Yulo also spent six months of intensive training in Japan under coach Munehiro Kugimiya, who previously mentored his older brother.
Just a day earlier,he also delivered an impressive eighth-place finish in the individual all-around.
The Filipino rising star isn’t resting on his laurels yet, as he sets his sights on podium finishes in the vault and horizontal bar events on Monday, Nov. 24.
