By Paolo Mariano
(April 5, 2024) – How do you even write that?
A story of that magnitude would make anyone’s fingers freeze, haplessly hovering above a keyboard, with the brain refusing to cooperate and words spurning every invitation to appear.
Its unprecedentedness (is that a word?), which came just 24 hours after an earlier unprecedented moment, is almost unthinkable to translate into prose. The back-to-back unprecedenteds (it’s not a word) made everything even more, um—what’s the word?—unprecedented.
The late journalist Jimmy Breslin once said, the bigger the story, the smaller your focus.
His plastic container was already discussed previously. What else? His hair? His biceps that would make The Incredible Hulk turn blue? His eyes? His eyelids? His retinas? His optic nerves?
This is impossible.
But succumbing to the impossibility would be a grave injustice to what Carlos Yulo just did.
Not a few were concerned that he might still be too consumed by the glory of his gold medal from the floor exercise last Saturday, that it would adversely affect his performance in the finals of the vault on Sunday in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Law of Gravity states: What goes up must come down.
But as Yulo has shown throughout his magical run in the quadrennial event, he can defy gravity. He is the law. He is Yu-Law (see, the brain is still protesting).
“Sobra ‘yung energy ko (last night). Sobra akong hyped. Pinipilit kong pumikit pero ‘di pa rin ako makatulog. So kaninang umaga, sobrang inaantok ako,” said Yulo. “Nagna-nap na lang ako pagpunta dito hanggang sa ma-feel ko na okay na ko.”
When all the eight finalists were judged, Yulo, endowed with a natural grace, once again came out victorious. A second gold medal. Just deux it. Another legendary performance. Another watershed moment. Another Wikipedia update.
How do you top winning a gold medal? Win another one, of course.
“Ang hinihiling ko lang talaga today is maging safe ako and walang ma-injure sa’min. ‘Yun lang talaga. Hindi ko in-expect na ganun ‘yung kalalabasan ng vault ko. Hindi talaga ko makapaniwala,” said Yulo.
As with any individual coming from such a high, the 24-year-old gymnast admitted that he came to Bercy Arena with the hunger of someone who just came from an all-you-can-eat feast. After all, he already made history.
“Relaxed lang ako kanina, parang, ‘Sige, kahit ano na lang.’ Kasi wala naman nang mawawala sa’kin. Ganun na ‘yung feeling ko kanina,” said Yulo.
That’s also probably the feeling of the people behind “Jaws: The Revenge,” “Speed 2: Cruise Control,” “Caddyshack 2,” “Batman and Robin,” “Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat,” and season 2 of “True Detective.” Making a sequel is never easy. It’s normally an exercise in futility. Following up on something so great, so iconic, so beloved in the hope of another hit is a bad idea.
But Yulo is “The Godfather II” and season 2 of “The Office.” Despite the sense of resignation in his remark, which was perhaps more of a by-product of his built-in modesty, he still delivered. 100% rating. Five stars. Award-winning. A true masterpiece!
He finished with an average of 15.116 points, built on a dazzling piked Dragulescu Vault, to vacuum seal his spot in Olympics lore. The Philippines wasn’t even done celebrating his gold medal in the floor exercise, yet Yulo decided to bring more cocktails and confetti to the merriment and blur everyone’s consciousness.
“Crazy. Crazy talaga ‘yung experience na ‘to, grabe,” said Yulo. “Sobrang pasasalamat ko sa itaas talaga. Hindi niya ko pinabayaan, binigyan niya ko ng lakas at ganitong talento.”
Unlike many Olympians, gymnasts have the advantage of possibly winning multiple medals since they compete in multiple events. It’s a nuance that shouldn’t be lost on Yulo as he aims to be a fixture in future editions of the Summer Games.
It took the Philippines 97 years, 14 presidents, and 15 sequels of “Shake, Rattle & Roll” before hearing the national anthem in the Olympics as Hidilyn Diaz lifted her way to immortality. Now, the “Lupang Hinirang” was heard on back-to-back days. To borrow Yulo’s unofficial favorite word over the last 48 hours: Crazy.
It’s also worth noting that on the same date—August 4—60 years ago, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal signed the law that designated June 12 as the Independence Day of the Philippines. There’s a symbolism somewhere there.
As he did when he was given the gold medal in the floor exercise, Yulo once again shook his head repeatedly in his return atop the podium on Sunday. But he was visibly more comfortable. After all, he’s been here before—just an evening ago. It truly looked like a replay: Again sporting an all-blue ensemble, again putting his hands over his head, again beaming, again pointing upward, and again exclaiming, “All God!”
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Yulo made such a good first impression with destiny, he immediately scored a second date. With destiny wearing her best Sunday dress, Yulo put on the charm, made the right moves, and earned a sweet goodbye kiss. Until next time.
He will return to the Philippines with life-changing rewards. He will be embraced by a nation’s admiration. From Golden Boy to Cover Boy. There have been numerous cautionary tales of athletes failing to budget the cost of fame. Heavy is he who wears the crown. But with Yulo, that seems a throwaway thought.
“Ang dami kong natutunan sa sarili ko, (paano) mag-adjust, maging kuntento kung anong meron ako, maging humble pa sa mga ginagawa ko at sa personality ko,” said Yulo.
His double triumph in the 2024 Paris Olympics only added more credence to the long-held argument that the Philippines should shift its focus to sports that Filipinos could actually excel in. While young boys won’t necessarily fill up gymnastics facilities instantly, Yulo’s improbable conquest already opened the doors. He already left an imprint, similar to Diaz, who inspired young girls in Zamboanga City, Bohol, and Rizal, among other provinces, to ditch their dolls and pick up barbells.
With the bar now as high as the Eiffel Tower, the challenge for Yulo, of course, is to build on the momentum. Make a sequel to the sequel. Winning multiple medals in the Olympics is no longer a mere lofty notion but a probable conclusion. The pressure will be heavier. The return will be rougher.
But Yulo’s been there before. It’s not unprecedented.
“Sa lahat ng struggles, sa lahat ng tao na hindi naniwala at binaba talaga ko, at sa mga taong naniwala sa’kin nang totoo, para sa kanila ‘to,” said Yulo.
(With reports from Boom Gonzales, Cignal TV)
