Gymnast says double-gold medal finish yet to sink in
Top gymnast Carlos Yulo is set to receive more than P85 million in cash bonuses, incentives, and rewards upon his return to the Philippines, on top of a “hero’s parade” being prepared by the city of Manila for the “golden boy” who bagged two gold medals in as many days at the Paris Olympics.
Yulo shrugged off a sleepless night to win gymnastics gold in the men’s vault at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, 24 hours after claiming the floor title for a piece of Philippines sporting history.
“It’s crazy because last night I couldn’t sleep. I was so hyped because I had won that gold medal on floor,” the 24-year-old Yulo said.
“It still didn’t sink in. This morning I was so sleepy, I didn’t know what to do.”
His double gold-medal finish catapulted the Philippines to the 21st position in the medal rankings as of Monday.
In Manila, President Marcos led a grateful nation in lauding Yulo for his historic back-to-back gold medal wins.
“No words can express how proud we are of you, Caloy!” President Marcos wrote on his official Facebook page.
“You have achieved GOLD for the Philippines not once, but twice!” he added.
At the Upper House, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada filed Resolution 1103 conferring Yulo with the “Senate Medal of Excellence” as the highest expression of national appreciation for his outstanding achievement.
“His glorious success is a shining example of what hard work, discipline, perseverance, and commitment to excellence can accomplish,” Estrada said in his resolution.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said the city government will prepare a “hero’s parade” for Yulo as “our way of paying tribute to Caloy’s greatness.”
Speaker Martin Romualdez described gymnast Yulo as a “once-in-a-century Filipino athlete” following his exceptional double gold victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Caloy’s achievements have not only brought glory to the Philippines but have also highlighted the potential of our athletes to excel in the international arena,” Romualdez said.
“We will continue to support and invest in our sports programs to nurture and develop more world-class athletes like Caloy. His success is a shining example of hope and a source of inspiration for all of us,” he added.
The House of Representatives also doubled its cash incentive for Yulo to P6 million after his second Olympic gold medal.
Additionally, Yulo will receive a congressional medal “for his exceptional achievement and contribution to Philippine sports,” Romualdez said.
Yulo is also entitled to another P10 million incentive from the Philippine Sports Commission, bringing his total reward from the PSC to P20 million.
Real estate giant Megaworld also significantly upgraded its offerings to Yulo in recognition of his historic achievement.
Initially, Yulo was promised a fully furnished two-bedroom unit in McKinley Hill valued at P24 million, but this was upgraded to a three-bedroom unit located within the 50-hectare McKinley Hill estate in Taguig worth P32 million, aside from P3 million in cash.
“Since this is a very significant milestone in Philippine sports to have two Olympic gold medals during our 100th-year participation as a country in the Olympics, we are boosting our reward to Carlos Yulo, now totaling P35 million,” said Megaworld president Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso in a statement.
The Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation is also set to provide another P10 million in cash bonuses, raising its total reward to Yulo to P20 million.
Bounty Fresh Group Holdings Inc. and Chooks-to-Go have announced a P3 million reward for Yulo’s feat while the SM Group of the Sy family pledged P1 million worth of products from SM Retail, consumable within one year.
Various lifetime offers from different restaurants and food outlets include a free buffet from Vikings and free food and drinks from Tipsy Pig. Additional rewards include free engineering design services from Nexa Engineering, free furniture worth P100,000 from Apollo Home Depot, and lifetime free meals from JT’s Kalayaan and BOK Korean Fried Chicken.
Furthermore, Yulo will receive a free franchise from Don Macchiatos and lifetime free gastrointestinal and colonoscopy consultations from Dr. Virgin Lo, known as “PinoyGastro.”
These rewards surpass those received by weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz, who garnered more than P50 million in cash and pledges, including houses, lots, and a lifetime of free flights, following her gold medal win at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Business tycoons like San Miguel Corp.’s Ramon Ang and Dennis Uy also contributed additional millions to Diaz’s rewards.
