Don't count him out

Karl Eldrew Yulo finished in eighth place in the boys’ individual all-around final despite competing with a bad ankle in the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships on Saturday at the Marriott Grand Ballroom.

The 17-year-old Yulo finished with 78.731 points in his first and last foray in one of the biggest tournaments for up-and-coming gymnasts.

While he did feel some pain in his right ankle after the vault, the Adamson High School standout soldiered on and kept on performing as he assured everybody that he was okay.

“I’m so happy because even though I didn’t make the Top 3, I still managed to get the Top 8 or even the Top 10. I’m still proud of myself because I finished in the qualification in 15th, but now I finished in the qualification in eighth place,” the young Yulo, who is the brother of Paris double Olympic gold medalist Carlos.

“It’s okay because I have many events there. I’m so happy.”

Arsenii Dukhno of Russia won the all-around crown with a total score of 82.031 while Asian champion Nao Ojima of Japan settled for the silver with 81.799.

Lanbin Yan, who won gold with China in the team all-around last Thursday, got third place with  81.099.

As Yulo shifts his focus to the floor exercise final on Sunday, he swears he needs to stay composed as he gets another shot at the gold starting at 3 p.m.

Yulo qualified for the floor exercise final last Thursday after finishing in second place with 14.233.

“My confidence is very high because I will lower one element by 0.1 because I hurt myself. I just need to clean up my routine,” Yulo said.

“I’m still a bit nervous, but I’m fine. I’ll try to do my best.”

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion remains upbeat despite Yulo missing out on the podium of the individual all-around.

“From fourth, he went down all the way to eighth. But, when I held him, what did he tell me?  He said: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get the gold,’” Carrion said.

“Because he still has floor, vault, and high bar. So, he’ll get gold in one or two of them.”

Despite the hometown cheers, Filipina gymnasts Elizabeth Antone, Maxine Bondoc and Jellian Bantilan gamely played but failed to make the grade in the girls’ individual all-around last Friday.

Antone finished in 37th in the individual all-around after a total score of 47.632 points in all four apparatuses.

She finished 26th (12.133) in the floor exercise, 29th (12.600) in the vault, 41st (11.366) in the uneven bars, 47th (11.533) in the balance beam.

“I am disappointed a little bit and I know that I could have done better. I just want to improve for next time,” Antone said.

Maxine Bondoc finished 93rd overall in the individual all-around with 41.299 while Jellian Bantillan finished at 107th with 39.199.