Carlos Yulo redeems self, vaults to another Asian Games gold

SHUSH. The Philippines's Carlos Edriel Yulo reacts during the men's vault final in the 2026 Asian Games.

REUTERS

After barely qualifying for the finals, Carlos Yulo captures a second artistic gymnastics gold medal for the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games as he rules the men’s vault

MANILA, Philippines – Carlos Yulo simply delivers when the stakes are at their highest. 

After barely qualifying for the finals, Yulo captured a second artistic gymnastics gold medal for the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games as he ruled the men’s vault at the Nagoya General Gymnasium in Japan on Friday, September 25. 

The reigning Olympic and world champion in the apparatus, Yulo delivered a breathtaking performance when it mattered most, brushing aside his seventh-place finish in the qualification as nothing more than a minor bump in the road.

Yulo scored 14.733 on his first vault and 14.466 on his second for an average of 14.599, enough to edge Iran’s Mahdi Olfati for the top prize and secure back-to-back victories after his floor exercise triumph the day prior.

Competing after Yulo, Olfati threatened to snatch the win from the Filipino after opening with an impressive 15.1 points, but a minor misstep on his second vault proved costly as the Iranian managed just 13.966 points for a 15.533 average. 

Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Ki, who topped the qualifications, completed the podium with 14.116 for the bronze.

It was a masterclass in redemption for Yulo, who overcame an underwhelming qualification — where he netted just a 13.649 average after landing on his backside on his first vault — to emerge with the gold medal.

With this victory, Yulo has now won gold medals in both the floor exercise and vault at the Olympics, World Championships, World Cups, Asian Games, Asian Championships, and Southeast Asian Games.

Another Filipino saw action in the final, with Juancho Miguel Besana placing fifth with 13.783 points.

Yulo can score a hat trick of gold medals as he competes in the parallel bars final later on Friday. – Rappler.com