SINGAPORE — Two-time world gymnastic champion from the Philippines, Carlos Yulo, will be among the top gymnasts in action when Singapore hosts the 10th Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships from June 10-18 at the OCBC Arena. Other big names confirmed for Singapore next month include gymnastics legend Oksana Chusovitina, an eight-time Olympian still competing at 47.
Yulo will also be hoping to add to his tally of three Asian championship gold medals which he won in Doha last year. The 23-year-old came out tops in the floor exercise (14.933), vault (14.884), and parallel bars (15.167) but finished a close second to China’s Shi Cong in the all-around event with a total score of 83.767, just shy of Shi’s 83.833.
Although Yulo missed the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Cairo due to a strained ligament in his left ankle, he was in action in the Baku series in March. He won the gold medals in the vault and parallel bars events. In the vault, Yulo scored 14.933 ahead of second place Harry Hepworth who tallied 14.816 for his routine. In the parallel bars, Yulo were neck-and-neck with Ukrainian Illia Kovtun. Still, the Filipino gymnast once again proved his calibre as he chalked up 15.400 to win the gold medal ahead of his opponent, who took silver with a score of 15.366.
Singapore will be hosting the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships for the first time, and it is a key event on the road to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Gymnasts who want to qualify for the Olympics must perform their best and earn their slot in this year’s World Championships in Belgium – where Olympic qualification is up for grabs. Singapore will also host the Asian Junior Artistic Gymnastics Championships from June 10-12, followed by the Senior Championships from June 15-18.
“We’re excited to have the biggest gymnastics nations confirming their participation for both the Asian Senior Championships and the Asian Junior Championships. This is the first time that Singapore is hosting events of such magnitude and the presence of some of the world’s biggest names in the sport will go a long way to growing the sport here and establishing Singapore as a regional hub for gymnastics,” said Singapore Gymnastics president Patrick Liew.
Yulo is currently with the Philippines national gymnastic squad in Cambodia for the 2023 SEA Games, and he is looking forward to testing himself against some of the best in the world in Singapore.
“For this upcoming competition in Singapore, I’m excited to see how we have improved along with the other competitors,” he said.
The Philippines came in second behind hosts Vietnam in the gymnastics medal standings, bringing home seven golds, four silvers and three bronze from the previous SEA Games last year. Yulo contributed five golds and two silver medals, with the gold medals coming from the individual all-around, floor, rings, vault, and horizontal bar disciplines. The two silver medals were from the team all-around and parallel bars.
Singapore women’s team captain Nadine Joy is excited to compete in Asia’s highest gymnastic competition on home soil. She won two bronze medals at the last SEA Games in Vietnam, in the team all-around and uneven bars.
“I think it is very exciting that Singapore is hosting the AAGC for the first time. It will be an opportunity for the gymnastics community and public to watch Asia’s best in action and experience, first-hand, the atmosphere of a high-level international competition. For athletes, competing on home ground with friends and family cheering us on will be a special experience,” said Joy who also won a silver medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in the 2015 SEA Games.
At the 2022 Asian Championships in Doha, China topped the medal tally with eight golds, three silvers and five bronze, while the Philippines (three golds and one silver) and South Korea (two golds, two silvers, four bronze) were second and third respectively.
Tickets for the Asian Junior Championships on June 10-12 and Asian Senior Championships on June 15-18 are now on sale here. https://www.2023asianchampionships.sg/ticket-sales/