Paris, France—Carlos Yulo of the Philippines won gold in the men’s vault at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, a day after claiming the floor title at Bercy Arena.
Armenia’s Artur Davtyan took silver with Britain’s Harry Hepworth just denying his compatriot and vault world champion Jake Jarman for the bronze.
Up to Saturday the Philippines had only ever won one gold medal at the Olympics—Yulo has singlehandedly tripled that tally with two stunning performances in a mere matter of magical minutes over the weekend.
On the crest of a wave after Saturday’s floor title the 24-year-old leapt to the top of the leaderboard at the midway stage of the eight-man final.
His average from his two vaults gave him a score of 15.116.
Davtyan—whose brother Vahagn had earlier competed in the rings final—went last and nailed silver ahead of Britain’s Olympic debutant Hepworth, seventh in the rings final.
Hepworth was landing Britain’s first ever Olympic medal in the men’s vault.
Yulo, who prevailed by 0.150 points, punched his arms into the air after executing a superb piked double front half-out move with only a small hop on landing that helped lift him to the top of the podium for the second time in a day.
Honorable mention must go to Mahdi Olfati, representing Iran in the men’s vault final for the first time in 60 years, and who finished last but one.
