Carlos Yulo (Photo PSC)
The Philippines two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo has withdrawn from the Thailand SEA Games in December.
The decision by the star gymnasts is believed to be a direst result of Thailand restricting gymnast to only one apparatus in the final of individual events.
The new restriction introduced by host nation means a gymnast can join two apparatus but can only win gold in one.
Two years ago, hosts Cambodia had capped capped gymnasts to two events each.
Yulo had won two gold medals in individual all-around and parallel bars, as well as silver in the team event and still rings in Cambodia. At the 2022 SEA Games in Hanoi, Yulo made a sweep of five-gold medals.
The decision by Thailand also meant that there will be no individual all-around competition this time around. Thailand had also dropped the team event this time around.
Yulo won two Olympic gold medals – in the floor exercise and vault events – at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and his absence would definitely affect the lustre of the competition.
Yulo is currently in Jakarta together with teammates Ivan Cruz and Miguel Besana for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. Cruz is the 2023 SEA Games gold medalist in floor exercise, while Besana won the vault.
Both Cruz and Besana are now likely to lead the Filipino challenge in the men’s competition.
Despite the absence of Yulo in Thailand, his sister Elaiza has been included in the women’s squad together with Olympians Aleah Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo.
