WIN or lose, Filipino athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics continue to bring pride to the country because of their solid showing and remarkable heart.
Gymnast Carlos Yulo is one of those athletes.
Considered a strong contender for his favorite floor exercise in gymnastics, the young athlete obviously struggled during last week’s qualification round.
This caused him to miss the final of the floor exercise, where he only scored 13.566. His disappointment was evident, but he vowed to bounce back by reaching the finals of the vault event.
During the finals held Monday, Yulo scored the highest among the eight competitors with a score of 14.866, but only finished the category in 4th place with a total score of 14.712
Yulo’s performance wasn’t enough to land a medal owing to the penalty he incurred, as he needed to score at least 15 points to secure a medal.
Despite Yulo not bagging the gold, Filipinos still showed their support and gratitude for his efforts in representing the country. Netizens also left positive and uplifting comments on social media platforms about Yulo’s feat to cheer the young gymnast.
Prior to the Games, Yulo was expected to win a medal, owing to his previous performances in top-notch gymnastics events around the world as part of his training for the Olympics.
But he was well aware of the world-class competition he faced. Even though he admitted he felt a little intimidated in an earlier interview, he vowed to give it all and not let it affect his performance.
Though he fell short, he knows that he gave it all for flag and country, and nobody can take that away from him. It was a personal accomplishment of sorts for the young “Caloy,” making it to the world’s biggest and most prestigious sporting stage.
In his small but stocky frame, he was able to carry the weight–and hopes–of an appreciative country.
And that alone is victory in itself.
(PHOTO CREDIT: espn.com)