Carlos Yulo eyes 2026 Asian Games stint

Carlos Yulo may be skipping this year’s edition of the Southeast Asian Games, but his eyes are set on a bigger tournament: the 2026 Asian Games.

Yulo said the preparations for this year’s World Championships, where he won gold in the vault and a bronze in floor exercise, took a toll on him which also prompted him to skip this year’s regional biennial meet.

“Ngayon po nag-focus ako ipahinga po ‘yung sarili ko rin. Palakasin after magpahinga po ‘yung katawan ko kasi na-overuse na rin po sa kaka-training, kaka-prepare po sa World Championships,” Yulo said on Thursday on the sidelines of the Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships where his brother Karl Eldrew is competing.

“By next year kasi, mag-try na rin ako mag-all around and ina-eye ko po talaga ang Asian Games, ayan po ‘yung pag-prepare-an ko.”

(Now, I'm focused on getting rest for myself. I need to build strength after resting my body because of overuse in training and preparing for the World Championships. By next year, I will be trying in the all-around and I'm eyeing the Asian Games, that's what's I'm preparing for.)

This year’s SEA Games also imposed a rule where athletes will be limited to one apparatus each. 

Aside from Yulo, other Filipino gymnasts won medals in the 2023 SEA Games such as John Ivan Cruz who had a gold in floor exercise, and Juancho Miguel Besana who ruled the vault event.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News