Carlos Yulo has returned to Japan to start preparing for a series of Olympic qualifiers.
His coach Munehiro Kugimiya brought him back to Tokyo, where he will see action in the first qualifier in Melbourne, Australia in February.
The qualifiers for men’s artistic gymnastics are set from Feb. 21 to 24.
The is the first tournament, where the podium finishers will get points that will count towards 2020 Olympic qualification.
This is part of the International Gymnastics Federation’s new World Cup format for the 2017-2020 Olympic Cycle.
As for Australia, it won the right to host a leg on the Individual Apparatus World Cup Circuit, with the first event set in Melbourne in February 2017.
This year, Melbourne will host this event for the entirety of the 2020 Olympic cycle for both men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics.
“From Jan. 5, he will train and train because he has competitions starting in February,” said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion.
Yulo is also expected to lead the national men’s team in its bid to gain honor in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Two other aspirants could join Yulo make it to the national team in SEA Games—Reyland Capellan Rafael Ablaza.
The two did well with Yulo when they joined the Toyota International meet in Japan last December.
Kugimiya is helping the GAP develop its training program with national coaches, headed by Aldrin Castaneda for the men’s team.
At the Toyota International, the 25-year-old Capellan ended up eighth with 12.275 points, while Ablaza was no. 11 with 11.925 in the floor exercises of the men’s artistic competitions.