Carlos Yulo made history on August 3, 2024, by becoming the Philippines’ first-ever male Olympic gold medalist. It started with a stunning performance on the floor routine. Then less than 24 hours later, he etched his name in the record books again, this time as the country’s first two-time gold medalist after clinching victory on the vault. His outstanding achievements might seem like a straightforward ascent, but Yulo’s journey was far from simple. There was a time when he teetered on the edge of leaving gymnastics altogether. What drove him to nearly abandon his dream, and how did he overcome those challenges to achieve greatness?

Munehiro Kugimiya, who coached Carlos Yulo since 2016, recently sat down for an interview with Rappler.com to reflect on their journey together. Despite parting ways in 2023, Kugimiya expressed immense pride in seeing Yulo’s success, particularly his Olympic gold medals. Having been part of the gymnastics delegation in Paris, Kugimiya watched Yulo’s stunning performances and emotional moments during the awarding ceremony from the sidelines. Unfortunately, Kugimiya never had the chance to speak with Yulo directly, who began his gymnastics journey at the age of seven.

With Kugimiya, Yulo won 2018 senior international debut and World Championship medals. Not only this, Yulo, also won bronze on the vault at the Melbourne World Cup and later claimed silver at the Baku World Cup before securing gold in floor exercise. Apart from the accomplishment, Kugimiya recalled the difficult period when Yulo, then just 16, left his family in Manila in 2016 to train in Japan under a scholarship program.

“When we started training in Japan, Carlos was only 16 years old. At that time, there were few supporters, and I had to pay our own expenses,” Kugimiya said. The transition was hard for the promising young gymnast. The Japanese mentor further recalled a challenging period when Carlos Yulo nearly gave up on his training in Japan due to obstacles like language and cultural barriers.

“I remember giving Carlos a ticket [while we were] at a ramen shop, to return to the Philippines when he was 16 years old,” Kugimiya said, reflecting on those tough moments. “There were times when I imposed a strict training regimen on him. But Carlos has always been aiming for the gold medal at the Olympics.”

Despite facing challenges, Yulo persisted and finally made it through! However, their partnership came to an end later on due to personal reasons. What led to this outcome?

Why did Carlos Yulo change his coach?

Carlos Yulo’s relationship with coach Munehiro Kugimiya ended in 2023 due to personal differences. Yulo said back in this year, “I feel like I’ve outgrown our relationship.” Even though they parted ways, on good terms, Yulo showed his appreciation of Kugimiya a year later. But he then reunited with Aldrin Castaneda, his coach, which coached him as a junior. While Yulo’s career is thriving, his relationship with his mother, Angelica, has also been strained.

Carlos Yulo made headlines, for his relationship with his mother, Angelica following his gold medal victory at the 2024 Olympics. The tension began in Tokyo under the coaching of Munehiro Kugimiya. Stemmed from disagreements regarding the presence of Yulo’s girlfriend San Jose staying with his brother. Angelica was concerned that San Jose was a negative influence on her son, while Yulo stood by his girlfriend’s freedom. Despite these family challenges, Yulo stayed focused on his goals, navigated through times, and eventually qualified for the Olympics in Paris.