Yulo wants Thailand SEA Games stint

Gymnast Carlos Yulo, the country’s newest sporting hero, will spend the rest of the year celebrating his landmark Paris Olympics triumph and resting as well, the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) leadership said on Saturday.

Gold medalists in the floor and vault in the Summer Games, Yulo will continue to savor his Olympic milestone as no major events are lined up towards the end of the year.

“He will start in 2025. I want him to rest because he has been training so hard,” GAP president Cynthia Carrion said during a press conference at the Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao where Yulo received the P5 million pledge from ArenaPlus.

Apart from receiving P 5 million and a plaque of appreciation, the pride of Leveriza, Manila also renewed his endorsement contract with ArenaPlus.

“Even if there is a competition this year, he won’t be able to win because he’s doing nothing. In gymnastics, you have to constantly train,”Carrion reasoned out, stressing the schedule of the 24-year-old star athlete remains hectic.

Next year, Yulo will compete in the FIG World Championships in Jakarta in October and in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December.

Asked about Carrion’s directive that he takes a break from competition, Yulo said it was a great idea considering the grind that he had to go through in the runup to the Paris Summer Games.

“I haven’t made any plans yet. But once everything settles, I want to take some time to rest and plan which competitions I will compete in to prepare well,” Yulo said.

“One of the competitions that I will join for next year is the SEA Games.”