AIDED by the extended preparation he had in the lead-up, Filipino gymnast Caloy Yulo is heading into the Olympic Games in Tokyo ready and prepared, his mother federation said. (SEA Games 2019 website)

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo 

FILIPINO gymnast Caloy Yulo is ready to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, aided by the extended preparation he had. 

This was shared by Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) President Cythia Carrion during her session on the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum before leaving for Japan. 

“He is prepared and he’s doing very well. If he just performs the way he’s training, he can win medals, maybe even the gold,” said Ms. Carrion of the 21-year-old Yulo, who is making his Olympic debut. 

The GAP official said that Mr. Yulo’s training in Japan for the good part of the last three years has done the gymnast well as he got to work on his game to better perform against a tough field in the rescheduled quadrennial Games. 

While the pandemic made Mr. Yulo’s preparation challenging, their team was able to make the necessary adjustments and he got to join different camps to sustain his gains in training. 

Mr. Yulo has also been very careful of his health, taking the necessary precautions to guard against the coronavirus. 

“He doesn’t go into crowds. He just goes to school and trains. He doesn’t go out. It’s all training for him,” said Ms. Carrion.  

She went on to say that for the Olympics, the strategy for Mr. Yulo is to pinpoint the skills he is really prepared for and focus on them, citing floor exercise, vault and parallel bar as among the strong suits of the Manila native gymnast. 

“We will not let him do any skill that he is not prepared for. That is our strategy. We are eyeing medals for floor and vault and for him to compete in the finals of the parallel bar,” she said. 

Mr. Yulo has already made his way to the Olympic Athletes’ Village this week and will begin his campaign on July 24 in the men’s all-around event. 

In the lead-up to Tokyo, Mr. Yulo has been packing momentum and winning steady in international competitions, including gold in floor exercise in the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha where he booked a spot in the Olympics, and in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where he won seven medals, including two gold. 

Added incentives 

Meanwhile, businessman and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero has committed an additional P3 million (gold), P2 million (silver) and P1 million (bronze) as incentives for Filipino athletes who will win medals in the Tokyo Olympics. 

Mr. Romero, who is also a national polo player, made the announcement on the PSA Forum on Tuesday. 

His pledge comes after those of Manny V. Pangilinan’s MVP Sports Foundation and San Miguel’s Ramon S. Ang, who have each allotted P10 million (gold), P5 million (silver) and P2 million (bronze). 

The government also will be giving the same amount under Republic Act (R.A.) 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act. 

Mr. Romero said that the incentives to be given to the athletes are merited since they have gone through a lot in realizing their Olympic dreams especially during this time of the pandemic. 

“They deserve it.” 

He went on to say that he is projecting two to three medals for the Philippines in Tokyo.

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