Tokyo—based Filipino Carlos Yulo is on top of the gymnastics world, literally.
The 20-year-old Yulo finished the year with a bang, sharing no. 1 spot the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) World Rankings for floor exercises with Spain’s Rayderley Zapata.
Yulo was already in the top spot, after getting important points from world championships in Doha and Melbourne last year, and from Germany in 2018.
Zapata managed to tie Yulo with his Melbourne stint.
The 4’9” Yulo got two bronze medal finishes in the All-Japan Gymnastics Championships last week.
But Yulo was not able to earn any points from his performances.
Russia’s Kirill Prokopev is third with 64 points.
Yulo is among four Filipinos who have qualified for the postponed Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in 2021.
He won’t be going home for Christmas and will stay in Tokyo to keep on training with his coach Munehiro in his bid to seek the elusive gold medal in the quadrennial meet.
Last year, Yulo clinched the gold medal in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships men’s floor exercise to become the country’s first-ever world champion in gymnastics.
Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, and pugs Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno are also part of the Philippine contingent to the Tokyo Games.
