When Carlos Yulo won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, it was ‘history-created’ for Filipino gymnastics. However, for Yulo, it was a moment that kickstarted a series of unfortunate revelations. Instead of celebrating his big win, Yulo found himself dealing with financial and familial struggles. After bidding adieu to his long-time coach, Munehiro Kugimiya, Yulo took a leap of faith.

After saying goodbye to Kugimiya, whom Yulo had outgrown, he returned to his roots. Carlos went on to team up with Aldrin Castañeda, the coach who guided him during his junior years. With Aldrin as a junior, Carlos has a history of winning gold medals. One of the iconic wins came when the duo won gold in floor exercise and the parallel bars at the 2014 ASEAN School Games. It is evident that the two share a dynamic rooted in history.

And that just might be what Yulo needs to center himself amidst the chaos! But what he did not see coming was the management of finances. When Yulo trained with Kugimiya, his finances seemed a whole lot more stable because the MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF) supported Yulo in 2016. This backing was an important factor that helped him on his way to Tokyo 2021.

This assistance, of course, helped. But as time flew and the 2024 Olympics arrived, Yulo found himself stuck in a new conundrum of finances. The situation was bad enough for Yulo to publicly say, “I didn’t think it would be hard for me to secure my money.” After winning, Yulo took it to TikTok and posted a video where he spoke about his mother, Angelica Poquiz-Yulo, having stolen funds from him. He even went on to accuse her of not informing him of the payments made for various competitions. The root of his mother’s actions?

Carlos Yulo disclosed that the arguments and issues were rooted in his mother’s disapproval of his girlfriend. Instead of letting the issues knock him off his game, he channeled his energy into training to be better. “I didn’t stress; I didn’t do anything. I went out, I guess, to work together and made magic happen,” said Yulo. And he sure did make magic happen!

August 3rd, 2024, will go down in the books of Yulo as iconic. He competed in the men’s floor exercise final and won with a score of 15.000 points. That win made him the first Filipino gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal. Yulo doesn’t stop there. The next day, he won a second Gold in the vault with a 15.116 score. This win also brought some relief to Yulo. The kind of relief that you find within your community.

Carlos Yulo and new beginnings

Despite the wax and wane of the 2024 season, Yulo has been receiving a lot of support from his homeland and fans. “It’s not like I’m being ungrateful, I’m really grateful that they’re praising me,” he shared. But that was just the beginning. His return home was an event in itself. A boatload of gifts awaited him on the other side!

Gifts include a condo, a lifetime supply of free food, and even free medical care after he turns 45! “I’m really just grateful for them that they’re noticing the hardships that we’ve been through, and also the results that I get, just really grateful for them.” But Carlos Yulo’s journey does not stop here!

As Carlos Yulo himself puts it, “My next goal is to get a medal in the individual all-around and try to protect the gold medal in floor and vault.” And where is he planning on doing it? The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Although a sight the world will love to see, this is not going to be an easy way ahead for Carlos. As Carlos Yulos makes the changes in his personal life. He is bound to return to the mat. And who knows, maybe this time it’ll be with a dream all-around win? The win remains a very real possibility. After all, nothing is more sacred to him than the sport to which he dedicated his life.