Carlos Yulo may have entered the Asian Games carrying far greater international experience, but his younger brother Karl Eldrew has already become a valuable source of advice as both compete for the Philippines.
The siblings, who developed their gymnastics skills in Japan during their younger years, are now sharing the same floor as teammates at the 20th Asian Games.
For Carlos, 26, having Eldrew around provides another perspective, particularly when it comes to techniques where the younger gymnast has an advantage.
“I’m glad that I have someone to run to [when I need to ask about] techniques because he (Eldrew) has a lot to share when it comes to his own techniques,” Carlos said.
That exchange has been particularly useful on the horizontal bar, where Eldrew has emerged as the stronger performer between the two.
“Eldrew is much better than I am in the high bar,” Carlos admitted. “And if someone is better than you, you have to ask advice from that person to level up your game. We can’t be afraid to ask others if there are things that we want to learn, especially among top-level gymnasts.”
Eldrew’s performance earned him places in the floor exercise and high bar finals. He ranked fourth in the floor exercise classification with 13.966 points, while Carlos also advanced to the floor final after posting the top qualifying score of 14.600.
Carlos, a two-time Olympic champion and multiple-time world and Asian champion, remains in pursuit of an Asian Games gold medal, one major title that has yet to join his collection.
His qualifying campaign was uneven. After producing the highest score on floor, he encountered difficulties on vault and horizontal bar. His first vault attempt did not go as planned, forcing him to rely on his second effort to remain in contention.
The apparatus finals give him another opportunity to add to his medal haul, with Carlos set to compete in the floor exercise, vault and parallel bars finals on Thursday and Friday. He previously captured Olympic gold in both floor exercise and vault at the 2024 Paris Games.
The younger Yulo also has another chance to make an impact after advancing in two apparatuses, continuing a campaign in which his high-bar performance has stood out. Juancho Miguel Besana likewise qualified for the floor exercise final.
Neither Yulo brother managed to reach the podium in the men’s individual all-around. Eldrew placed seventh with 77.264 points, while Carlos finished ninth with 75.465. China’s Zhang Boheng won the event, followed by Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka and Daiki Hashimoto.
Carlos acknowledged that he had not produced the performance he had prepared for during the all-around competition.
“I wasn’t able to bring out what I prepared for … I learned so many things that I can take with me in the following days,” he said.
The Philippine men’s team also secured a place in the team finals after ending qualification in sixth. Justine Ace De Leon and Zachary Nunez join the Yulo brothers on the squad.
Eldrew said he intends to make the most of the remaining competition.
“This (the Games) is where I plan to give everything and pour out all my energy and good vibes,” he said.
With the apparatus finals still ahead, Carlos remains focused on the opportunities left in the competition.
“There are still finals to compete in; there are still chances to win a medal,” Carlos said.
