Filipino gymnast becomes first in nation’s history to win Asian Games artistic gymnastics gold, capping the achievement with wins in floor exercise and vault
NAGOYA, JAPAN – Two-time Olympic champion Carlos Edriel Yulo wrapped up his 2026 Asian Games campaign as the most decorated athlete in the Philippine delegation, claiming two gold medals in Aichi-Nagoya and cementing his place in the country’s sporting history.
Yulo opened his medal run on Thursday, 24 September, winning gold in the men’s floor exercise with a score of 14.666, delivering the Philippines’ first gold medal of the Games and becoming the first Filipino gymnast ever to win an Asian Games title. He backed it up the very next day, 25 September, topping the vault final with an average score of 14.599 across two attempts, edging out Iran’s Mahdi Olfati by just 0.066 points.
The gymnast’s campaign came to a close on Friday in the parallel bars final, where he placed fourth with a score of 14.300, narrowly missing a third medal as China’s Jingyuan Zou defended his title with a 15.500.
With the two Asian Games golds, Yulo now holds a complete set of major artistic gymnastics titles, adding to a collection that already includes two Olympic gold medals, three world championships, and eleven continental titles.
“Having this in my collection… it means it’s all complete now,” Yulo said after his floor exercise win. “I’m just overwhelmed right now. I can’t process it yet.”
Yulo, 26, also competed alongside his younger brother, 18-year-old Karl Eldrew Yulo, who was making his Asian Games debut, marking the second time the brothers have represented the Philippines together as a team.
The two golds remain the Philippines’ only gold medals of the 2026 Asian Games, underscoring Yulo’s role as the standout performer for the Philippine delegation in Aichi-Nagoya. END #GlobalPhilippinesDotNet
