After three legs of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series, Karl Eldrew Yulo is already getting used to the demands of competing at the seniors level.
Yulo, 18, said he was surprised by how friendly and humble other athletes are despite being the best gymnasts in their respective countries.
Yulo started his journey in the seniors level just last February when he competed in the Cottbus leg of the World Cup in Germany.
“They were friendly. They were very humble and down-to-earth,” said Yulo, who is competing in the final of the Cairo leg men’s floor exercise event at press time.
“I was very nervous. My heart was beating fast. I was very nervous because I would be able to compete with the Olympians that I used to watch.”
Yulo finished third in the preliminary round of the horizontal bar with 13.466 points last Sunday to earn another chance at a podium finish.
The final will be on Monday at 7 p.m. (Manila time), where he meets some familiar faces along the way.
Li Hongyan of China topped the preliminary round with 14.333 points while South American champion Luciano Letelier of Chile, who scored 13.533, finished second.
Also expected to vie for the podium are Marious Gregoriou of Cyprus, who tallied 13.366 to finish fourth, Camilo Vera of Colombia, who garnered 13.366 but had to settle for fifth place due to a lower execution score, and Daniel Marinov of Russia, who scored 13.366 points to post a sixth-place finish.
Completing the eight-man final are Ilyas Azizov of Kazakhstan, who scored 12.800 to end up in seventh place, and Nikolas Iliopoulos of Greece with 12.666 for eighth place.
Yulo admitted that being associated with his older brother means he has to put up an outstanding performance despite both of them having different styles.
After all, he is expected to lead the new generation of gymnasts, which also include their younger sister Elaiza, who made her senior debut at 16 years old in the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta last October.
“Sometimes, I encounter judges who expect higher things from me. just encounter such things,” Yulo said.
“Even though there is a little consideration, there is also pressure.”