Yulo withdraws from SEA Games

Olympic double gold medalist Carlos Yulo has decided to skip the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Bangkok this December.

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion told DAILY TRIBUNE the 25-year-old gymnast won’t join this year to allow other members of the national team to vie for gold medals since he will only be limited to one apparatus in this prestigious biennial meet.

Yulo won two gold medals in the men’s individual all-around and the parallel bars, while also winning silver medals in the team event and the rings in the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia in 2023.

“The competitions of the SEA Games are not for the athletes but for the country and how many medals they can get.  This should be a festive occasion for us and Carlos wants to give his teammates a chance to win,” Carrion said in a text message.

“The saddest part is that there is no team competition, which is the most exciting and we have a big chance to win like we did in Vietnam.”

With Yulo sitting out, gymnasts John Ivan Cruz and Juancho Miguel Besana are expected to defend their gold medals in the men’s floor exercise and vault, respectively, in the Bangkok SEA Games.

Meanwhile, Yulo is currently in Indonesia as he competes in the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships starting on Sunday.

Yulo, along with Cruz, Besana and Justin Ace dela Cruz men’s qualification phase subdivision 6 set at 8:20 p.m. at the Indonesia Arena.

The 4-foot-11 gymnast said he will have a chance to showcase his skill, grace and style now that the pressure is off his shoulders following his triumph in the Summer Games last year.

“The weight in the press leading to the Paris Olympics, that was really heavy for me but after winning the Olympic medals, the pressure went down and I don’t have to really put so much stress on myself — (I can) just kind of really be who (I am),” Yulo said.

“Right now I have a high chance to show a good quality of gymnastics. I think that after winning the gold medals really makes me move easily because the weight is not that much on me.”

Yulo will be facing familiar rivals as Artem Dolgopyat of Israel and Filipino-British gymnast Jake Jarman will be defending their titles in the floor exercise and vault, respectively.

Paris Olympics gold medalist Shinnosuke Oka of Japan and Paris Summer Games silver medalist Artur Davtyan of Armenia will also be competing in the biggest gymnastics tournament outside of the Olympics.