Carlos Yulo is back. And he’s not just here to participate but to dominate. Nearly a year after setting Olympic history, the Filipino phenom has reignited his journey with a bang at the 2025 Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships. With his eyes firmly on reclaiming his global crown, Yulo didn’t just show up in South Korea. He stormed back, delivering a commanding all-around performance that screamed one thing. He never left.
After a 10-month hiatus following his glorious Paris 2024 campaign, Yulo charged into Jecheon with intensity, bagging a bronze in the individual all-around. But it wasn’t just about the medal. It was what that medal symbolized. His overall score of 83.633 was enough to finish behind only Olympic all-around champ Oka Shinnosuke and Japanese teammate Hasegawa Tsuyoshi. With this podium finish, Yulo made an emphatic statement.
He still belongs at the very top of Asian gymnastics. More importantly, this bronze was only the beginning. The Olympic gold medalist punched his ticket to an astonishing five event finals. A feat few would have predicted after a lengthy break. In his Olympic specialties, he looked unstoppable: Yulo posted a stellar 14.433 on the floor and a rock-solid 14.500 average on vault, topping the floor standings and placing second only to Iran’s Mahdi Olfati on vault.
That kind of consistency is rare, especially in a comeback meet, and it signals just how locked-in Yulo is heading into the next chapter of his career. However, his campaign wasn’t without bumps. The pommel horse proved a challenge, yielding his lowest score of 13.100. However, elsewhere, Yulo demonstrated the full scope of his world-class skill set.
He clinched finals berths in parallel bars (14.167 for 4th), still rings (13.633 for 7th), and even horizontal bar (13.800 for 10th), where the two-per-country rule worked in his favor due to a crowded Japanese field. Despite not reclaiming his 2022 all-around title, this performance served as a glowing reminder of the levels Yulo can reach and surpass when he’s firing on all cylinders.
Now, the spotlight shifts to June 7 and 8, when Yulo will compete across all five apparatus finals. Whether he adds more hardware or simply reasserts his elite status, one thing is clear: Carlos Yulo’s fire is burning hotter than ever. His return wasn’t just successful. It was seismic. Meanwhile, back when he created history by winning double gold in Paris, Yulo received a ton of gifts to acknowledge his historic feat.
How the Philippines spoiled Carlos Yulo after double Olympic gold
Carlos Yulo didn’t just win two Olympic gold medals in Paris. With that, he unlocked a tidal wave of love, pride, and outrageous generosity from back home. From a luxury home to free pasta for life, the Filipino gymnast’s historic feat on the floor and vault has turned him into a national icon. And the gifts keep rolling in. After securing the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic double gold in artistic gymnastics, Yulo has been showered with pledges both lavish and quirky.
The government is set to award him nearly 100 million pesos (over USD 5 million) in cash, while the private sector has jumped in with a stunning three-bedroom condo worth 32 million pesos in Taguig City, a 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, and even a lifetime supply of baked mac and cheese and chicken inasal from chain restaurants.
Some companies have taken their offers to humorous extremes, including headlights, phone cases, and wedding photography services, which are all on the table. One doctor has even promised Yulo free endoscopic procedures when he turns 45. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called Yulo’s performance historic, and the House of Representatives has gone a step further by passing a measure exempting all his prizes from taxes.
“No words can express how proud we are of you,” Marcos said. Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez called him a “national treasure.” The sentiment has spilled into everyday Filipino life too: restaurants have offered free meals to anyone named Carlos, Caloy, or Edriel, while music venues handed out free entry to patrons whose names started with C. For Yulo, the rewards are immense. But for the Philippines, his victories are priceless.
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