Carlos, Eldrew Yulo show way as PH gymnasts reach Asian Games finals

TOGETHER. Brothers Carlos (left) and Eldrew Yulo in action for the Philippines in the men's artistic gymnastics competition of the 2026 Asian Games.

PSC-POC Media Pool

Carlos Yulo reaches the medal round of the floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars as he gets multiple chances to capture a breakthrough Asian Games medal

AT A GLANCE

• Carlos Yulo advanced to three apparatus finals in men's artistic gymnastics at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, including floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars.
• Yulo was the top qualifier in the floor exercise but faced challenges in the vault, finishing seventh to secure a spot in the final.
• The Philippines qualified for the men's team final as the sixth-best squad, with Yulo's brother Eldrew and Juancho Miguel Besana also reaching finals in their respective events.

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MANILA, Philippines – Carlos Yulo gave himself three chances to win perhaps the only medal missing in his collection as he advanced to three apparatus finals in the men’s artistic gymnastics of the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

Yulo, a double Olympic gold medalist and a multi-time world champion, reached the medal round of the floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars following a solid showing in the qualifications at the Nagoya General Gymnasium on Monday, September 21.

Living up to his billing as one of the Philippines’ best gold-medal bets in the continental showpiece, Yulo emerged as the top qualifier in the floor exercise, where he posted 14.6 points to edge South Korea’s Ryu Sung-hyun (14.566) and Japan’s Shoma Tsukiyama (14.166).

Yulo, though, almost failed to make the cut in his other pet event, finishing seventh in vault — an apparatus where he won two world titles — and doing just enough to earn a spot in the eight-man final. 

A missed landing in his first vault netted Yulo only 13.166 points, but he redeemed himself with 14.133 points in his second vault for a 13.649 average.

While the qualifications might have been a mixed bag, Yulo views it as a lesson learned.

“There were a lot of learnings that I can use in the coming days,” Yulo said in Filipino. 

Yulo also made the final of parallel bars, where he wound up as the fifth-best qualifier with 14.266 points, behind China’s Zou Jingyuan (15.333) and Zhang Boheng (14.7), Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka (14.633), and Tomoharu Tsunogai (14.633).

Japanese star Daiki Hashimoto also finished ahead of Yulo with 14.3 points, but he got the boot as only two gymnasts per country advance to each apparatus final.

Aside from Yulo, his younger brother Eldrew and Juancho Miguel Besana clinched final berths.

Eldrew landed fourth in the floor exercise (13.966) and finished as the seventh-best qualifier in horizontal bar (13.433), while Besana placed fourth in vault with 13.933 points. 

In the individual all-around, Eldrew ended up as the best Filipino, getting seventh with 77.264 points followed by Carlos (75.465) at ninth and Besana (70.898).

Zhang captured the individual all-around gold with 85.065 points, besting Oka (84.698) and Hashimoto (83.865)

Meanwhile, the Philippines — also represented by Justine Ace de Leon and Zachary Nunez — qualified for the men’s team final as the sixth-best squad with 232.093 points.

The men’s team final is set on Wednesday, September 23, while the apparatus finals are scheduled on Thursday, September 24, and Friday, September 25. – Rappler.com