Carlos swears Eldrew’s time will come

Karl Eldrew Yulo could hardly contain his emotions after finally securing his first Asian Games medal.

The 18-year-old Filipino gymnast broke down in tears after winning bronze in the men’s horizontal bar, overwhelmed by what the achievement meant to him, his family, and the Filipinos who kept on supporting him.

The younger brother of Paris Olympics double gold medalist Carlos Yulo scored 13.666 points to end up with a podium finish in his debut in the prestigious continental showcase.

“I’m so happy. I’m crying. I’m so overwhelmed,” Yulo said in an interview with One Sports.

The final moments of the competition were anything but easy for the young gymnast.

As the last two performers prepared for their routines, Yulo admitted that he became increasingly conscious of what was unfolding.

Instead of thinking only about the medal, Yulo found himself worrying about the safety of his fellow competitors.

“When the last two performers were about to fall, I became so conscious. I don’t know why. I was like, ‘It’s not right,’” Eldrew said.

“I just wanted them to be safe. I hoped they wouldn’t get injured. That’s when I started crying. I didn’t know what to do. I was nervous. It was a mix of emotions.”

The bronze came a day after a disappointing result for Yulo, who finished seventh in the floor exercise final.

Rather than allow the setback to weigh him down, he used it as motivation heading into another opportunity.

“Yesterday, I was disappointed. I didn’t take it negatively. I took that disappointment as motivation to fight for more, to crave more, to hunger more and to strive more,” Eldrew said.

“This is the first step.”

For Carlos, who won two Asian Games gold medals, he is excited to see how far his Eldrew will go in his career as a gymnast.

“For me, Eldrew is at an exciting stage. He just shouldn’t give up. I feel like he’s a truly talented kid,” said Carlos, who also won the floor exercise and vault gold.

“His time will come. I believe that.”