In a day filled with potential for the Philippines at the 2024 Olympics, Carlos Yulo stands poised to make history as he competes in the floor exercise final in men’s artistic gymnastics. The event is set for 3:30 p.m. Paris time (9:30 p.m. Manila time) at the Bercy Arena, where Yulo is a strong contender for the gold medal.
Adding to the excitement, Filipino boxers Carlo Paalam and Aira Villegas will fight in their quarterfinal bouts at the North Paris Arena. Paalam will take on Australia’s Charlie Senior in the men’s 57kg division, while Villegas will face French boxer Wassila Lkhadiri in the women’s 50kg division.
EJ Obiena, another key athlete for Team Philippines, will also compete, aiming to qualify for the men’s pole vault finals at the Stade De Paris. His event starts at 10:10 a.m. (4:10 p.m. Manila time), and although no medals are at stake yet, his performance is highly anticipated.
Yulo’s exceptional performances in previous rounds have set high expectations. Having won the world title in 2019, he finished second in the qualification round with a score of 14.766 and seventh in the all-around final with a 14.333. The competition remains fierce, with notable gymnasts like Great Britain’s Jake Jarman, Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat, and China’s Zhang Boheng also vying for the top spot.
As Yulo strives for what could be the Philippines’ second Olympic gold medal in history, Paalam and Villegas aim to secure their places on the podium. Paalam, a silver medalist in Tokyo, and Villegas, who recently celebrated an upset victory, bring additional excitement to the Philippine delegation’s day in Paris.