Carlos Primero: Yulo grabs second Asian Games gold; Eldrew gets bronze

Carlos Yulo’s golden double in gymnastics bannered Team Philippines’ medal drive on the sixth day of the 20th Asian Games on Friday in Nagoya, Japan.

Fresh from winning his first Asiad gold in the men’s floor exercise last Thursday, the 25-year-old Yulo doubled his haul by ruling the vault with an average score of 14.599 points at the Rainbow Hall inside the Nagoya General Gymnasium.

Yulo had nearly missed the vault final after a disastrous qualifying performance on Monday, but bounced back when it mattered most.

“I was really enjoying it earlier. I didn’t think about anything. I wasn’t stressed at all,” Yulo said in an interview with One Sports.

“I feel like my movements were fluid earlier. I almost missed my last dismount, but I still managed to save it,”added Yulo, who won the same color in floor and vault during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Mahdi Olfati of Iran settled for the silver with an average of 14.533, while Ng Ka Ki of Hong Kong took the bronze with 14.116.

Miguel Besana finished fifth with 13.783, improving on his 21st-place finish in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023.

Yulo then went for a third gold in the parallel bars but settled for fourth with 14.300.

His younger brother Karl Eldrew, however, made sure the Yulo family would leave the day with another medal by winding up with the bronze, his first medal in the Asian Games.

The 18-year-old Eldrew stunned a field that included China’s Tian Hao and three-time Paris Olympic champion Oka Shinnosuke of Japan to take third in the parallel bars with 13.666.

Eldrew tied Kazakhstan’s Milad Karimi on the same score, but edged the Kazakh on execution to secure the bronze.

Tian took the gold with 14.700, while Oka settled for silver with 14.033.

The Philippines added another medal at the Kinjo Futo Station Square, where Gilas Pilipinas Women made history by claiming its first Asian Games 3x3 medal.

Kennan Ka, Amyah Espasol, Maria Pasilang and Kacey dela Rosa defeated Thailand, 13-8, in the semifinals before falling to host Japan, 11-21, in the gold medal match.

The silver marked the Philippines’ first 3x3 medal since the discipline was introduced in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

As of this writing, the Philippines sat 14th in the medal standings with two golds, two silvers and four bronzes.

In boxing, Junmilardo Ogayre kept the country’s medal hopes alive after sweeping Khagendra Roka Magar of Nepal, 5-0, in the men’s 60kg Round of 16 at the Nishio Gymnasium.

Ogayre needs one more victory on Sunday to secure at least a bronze medal for the Philippines, which is seeking to improve on its lone silver from the 2023 Hangzhou Asiad.

Riza Pasuit attempted to remain relevant but she dropped her Round of 16 duel in the women’s 54-kilogram, losing to Natnicha Chongprongklang of Thailand, 5-0.

Olympic medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio will look to remain in the hunt for medals as they enter the ring on Saturday.

Paalam, a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, faces Jadumani Singh Mandengbam of India in the Round of 16 of the men’s 55-kilogram division.

Petecio, meanwhile, begins her bid in the women’s 60kg class against Mays Alreem Abukhadijah of Jordan in the Last 16.