ELDREW YULO — FACEBOOK.COM/PSC.GOV.PH

PHILIPPINE gymnastics’ dream of the talented Yulo brothers Carlos and Eldrew competing side by side in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and eyeing that shining gold medal is no longer out of reach.

That was because the younger Mr. Yulo, World Juniors Championships double bronze winner Eldrew, has announced he would start to compete in the seniors and focus on making the national team starting next year.

“Actually, we will be together, my elder brother Caloy (Carlos) and I in one team because I will be training and competing in the seniors next year,” said Mr. Yulo, moments after his magical performance in the five-day event at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.

“I would also be targeting the Worlds and Asian Championship, possibly,” he added.

Of course that dream Yulo pairing in LA (Los Angeles) has been talked about as early as last year after Carlos made a historic double-gold conquest in the Paris Games.

And now Eldrew will be doing his best to make it happen.

“It’s been my dream to compete with him in the Olympics,” he said.

Eldrew has been nothing less than sensational as he snared a bronze each in floor exercise and horizontal bar, finished fourth in the vault despite a right ankle sprain, and eighth in the individual all-around right on his first event on the global stage.

But he is tempering his expectations first as he knows the senior level is going to be a lot tougher than the juniors event.

“I will just lay low for now and start putting in the work because I’m going to be a newbie in the senior next year and I’m not going to expect anything for now since I will just come in and I still need to prove to myself that I’m worthy to be there,” said Mr. Yulo.

For now, he will do for a very short while during his much-needed break what he had craved for when he trained in Japan for almost a year — eat, sleep, rest and repeat.

And then it’s back to work again in Japan with Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya. — Joey Villar