1. Early Life and Background
Carlos Edriel Poquiz Yulo was born on February 16, 2000, in Malate, Manila, Philippines. His parents are Mark Andrew Yulo, a travel agent liaison, and Angelica Yulo (née Poquiz), a homemaker. He resided along Leveriza Street in Malate with his maternal grandmother, Angelita Poquiz. He is the second of four siblings. His older sister, Joriel, is a member of the National University Pep Squad, and his younger siblings, Karl Jahrel Eldrew and Elaiza Andriel, are also artistic gymnasts who are part of the junior squad of the National Artistic Gymnastics Team. Eldrew is the current junior Asian champion in vault. Yulo grew up watching Filipino gymnasts train and compete at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate.
1.1. Childhood and Education
Yulo began training in gymnastics at the age of seven. His introduction to the sport came after his grandfather, Rodrigo Frisco, observed him tumbling at a local playground and subsequently brought him to the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) for formal training. In his early years, he also trained at the Club Gymnastica in Pasig.
He attended Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School in Malate for his primary education, where he trained under teacher-coach Ezra Canlas as part of the National Capital Region's gymnastics team for the Palarong Pambansa. With the support of the GAP, he pursued his secondary education at Adamson University in Ermita.
In 2016, Yulo accepted a scholarship program offered by the Japan Olympic Association to train in Japan. Following his relocation to Japan, Yulo continued his academic pursuits at Teikyo University in Itabashi, Tokyo, where he graduated in 2022 with an associate degree in literature. During his time in Japan, he also lived with his coach, Munehiro Kugimiya.
1.2. Early Gymnastics Development
Yulo began his competitive journey in 2008. His first major domestic competition was the Palarong Pambansa in 2009, held in Tacloban, Leyte. On May 1, he contributed to the National Capital Region's gold medal-winning elementary team, achieving a score of 79.35, and placed fifth in the individual all-around with a score of 26.15. The following day, he earned a silver medal in the floor exercise with a score of 13.325, finishing behind Marc Capistrano of Calabarzon. Yulo later stated that these second and fifth-place finishes motivated him to intensify his training for subsequent Palarong Pambansa competitions.
In the 2010 Palarong Pambansa, held in Tarlac City, Tarlac, Yulo competed in every event, securing gold medals in the individual all-around and floor exercise, along with a bronze in the vault. The men's team, of which he was a part, finished fifth. The following year, at the same competition in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, he clinched gold medals in the team event, individual all-around, floor exercise, and vault. That same year, he debuted at the Philippine National Games, participating in the 2011 edition in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, where he won three gold medals in the floor exercise, still rings, and parallel bars.
In 2012, Yulo competed in the Palarong Pambansa in Lingayen, Pangasinan, securing gold medals in the individual all-around, floor exercise, and vault, in addition to winning the team competition with his teammates. In the same year, he traveled to China with fellow gymnast Jan Gwynn Timbang for training, sponsored by the Philippine Good Works Mission Foundation through the GAP. This training was aimed at helping them qualify for the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.
His final appearance at the Palarong Pambansa was in 2013, held in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. There, he earned gold medals in the team event, individual all-around, and floor exercise, and a silver medal in the vault, finishing behind Martoni Abana. It was also in 2013 that Yulo first met Munehiro Kugimiya, who would become his long-term coach, when Japanese trainers visited the Philippines to assist with national team training.
2. Athletic Career
Carlos Yulo's athletic career demonstrates a steady progression from a promising junior to a globally dominant senior artistic gymnast, marked by numerous historic achievements.
2.1. Junior Career
As a junior gymnast, Carlos Yulo was coached by Aldrin Castañeda, who would later rejoin his coaching team in his senior career.
In 2014, Yulo achieved significant success at the ASEAN School Games, where he secured two gold medals in both the floor exercise and parallel bars. He then participated in the 2014 Pacific Rim Championships, finishing sixth on the floor exercise and eighth on the vault. The following year, in 2015, he competed at the International Junior Competition held in Yokohama, Japan, earning a bronze medal in the vault final, placing behind Youth Olympic medalists Giarnni Regini-Moran and Yue Ma.
In 2016, Munehiro Kugimiya officially became Yulo's coach. The following year, the MVP Sports Foundation began providing financial assistance to support his burgeoning career. He also received a scholarship from the International Gymnastics Federation to facilitate his move to Japan, which proved crucial for his advanced training.
Yulo demonstrated his growing prowess at the 2016 Pacific Rim Championships, where he collected an impressive five medals: two gold medals in the floor exercise and vault, two silver medals in the still rings and parallel bars, and a bronze medal in the all-around. Days before the 2017 Junior Asian Championships, Yulo twisted his left ankle during floor exercise training. Despite this injury, he chose to compete, though he was limited to the still rings, pommel horse, and parallel bars. He successfully qualified for the parallel bars final and went on to win the gold medal. Later in 2017, due to a shoulder injury, he competed only on the vault and floor exercise at the International Junior Competition, where he earned a gold medal in the vault final and a silver medal in the floor exercise final.
2.2. Senior Career
2.2.1. 2018: First World Championship Medal
Carlos Yulo made his senior international debut in 2018 at the Melbourne World Cup, where he immediately made an impression by winning a bronze medal on the vault. He continued his strong performance on the World Cup circuit, securing a silver medal on the vault at the Baku World Cup. At the Doha World Cup, he earned another silver medal, this time on the floor exercise, marking his third international medal in just one month. Domestically, Yulo dominated the 2018 Philippine National Games in Cebu City, Cebu, clinching every individual gold medal.
At the 2018 Asian Games, Yulo notably scored the highest in the floor exercise during the qualification round. However, in the event final, he experienced a fall on his third tumbling pass, resulting in a seventh-place finish.
His remarkable year continued at the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha. Yulo advanced to both the all-around and floor exercise finals, becoming the first Filipino gymnast ever to qualify for a World Championships final. As the youngest of the 24 competitors in the all-around final, he finished in 23rd place. In a historic moment for Philippine and Southeast Asian gymnastics, Yulo won a bronze medal in the floor exercise, making him the first Filipino and the first male Southeast Asian gymnast to medal at the World Championships. Following the World Championships, he competed at the Cottbus World Cup, where he won another bronze medal on the floor exercise after losing an execution score tiebreaker to Casimir Schmidt. In December, he added two more silver medals to his collection, in the vault and parallel bars, at the Toyota International.
2.2.2. 2019: First World Title and SEA Games Success
Yulo commenced his 2019 season at the Melbourne World Cup, where he clinched the gold medal on the floor exercise with a narrow lead of 0.066 points. He had to withdraw from the Baku World Cup due to a chest injury. Despite this setback, he rebounded at the Doha World Cup, earning a bronze medal on the floor exercise. At the Asian Championships, he placed fourth on both the floor exercise and vault, and seventh on the parallel bars. A significant domestic achievement came at the All-Japan Senior Championships, where he tied for the gold medal on the floor exercise with Japanese gymnastics legend Kōhei Uchimura.
The pinnacle of his 2019 season arrived at the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart. Yulo's performance in the all-around qualification not only earned him a spot in the final but also secured his qualification to represent the Philippines at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He then achieved a personal-best all-around total, finishing tenth in the final. In a truly historic moment, he won the gold medal in the floor exercise final, becoming the first Filipino and the first Southeast Asian world champion in artistic gymnastics. Following his victory, the Senate of the Philippines recognized his achievement, particularly noting his height of 4.9 ft (1.5 m) (4 feet 11 inches) as below average for male gymnasts, using his success as a "wake-up call" for the government to increase support for sports where physical stature is not a determinative factor.
After his World Championship triumph, Yulo competed at the Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines, where he remarkably medaled in every event. He secured gold medals in both the all-around and floor exercise. Additionally, he earned silver medals in the pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.
2.2.3. 2020-2021: Pandemic Era and Tokyo Olympics
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the 2020 international gymnastics calendar, leading to the cancellation or postponement of most competitions. Yulo returned to competition in September 2020 at the All-Japan Senior Championships, where he won a bronze medal on the vault. He further added to his medal tally at the All-Japan Championships, securing another vault bronze and a floor exercise bronze.
Yulo began his Olympic season in 2021 by winning a bronze medal on the parallel bars at the All-Japan Event Championships. He then represented the Philippines at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, aiming to become the country's first Olympic champion in any sport. During the qualification round, he unfortunately fell on his first tumbling pass, which prevented him from qualifying for the floor exercise final. He also encountered difficulties on several other apparatuses, missing out on the all-around final. However, he successfully qualified for the vault final in sixth place. As the youngest competitor in the vault final, he ultimately finished in fourth place, narrowly missing the bronze medal by just 0.017 points.
Following his Olympic performance, Yulo competed at the All-Japan Senior Championships, where he won a gold medal on the floor exercise and a bronze medal on the vault. He then participated in the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. Yulo delivered a strong qualification, topping the standings in both the floor exercise and parallel bars, and also securing a spot in the vault final. In the floor exercise final, he finished fifth after stepping out of bounds during his routine. However, he then demonstrated his exceptional skill by winning the gold medal in the vault final and a silver medal in the parallel bars final, placing behind China's Hu Xuwei.
2.2.4. 2022: Multi-Medalist Year
Carlos Yulo continued his impressive run in 2022. At the Southeast Asian Games (which were held in 2022), he led the Filipino team to a silver-medal finish, behind Vietnam. Individually, he secured the gold medal in the all-around competition. In the subsequent event finals, Yulo had a dominant performance, winning gold medals in the floor exercise, still rings, vault, and horizontal bar, and adding a silver medal on the parallel bars.
He achieved his first-ever senior continental championship title at the 2022 Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, where he clinched the gold medal in the floor exercise after earning a silver medal in the individual all-around. He further cemented his dominance by winning additional gold medals in the vault and parallel bars.
At the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, Yulo qualified for the all-around, floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars finals. He was also the second reserve for the still rings final, having finished tenth in the qualification round. In the all-around final, he placed eighth, primarily due to errors on the pommel horse, vault, and horizontal bar. He subsequently fell during the floor exercise final, finishing seventh. However, on the final day of apparatus finals, Yulo bounced back, securing a silver medal in the vault final, behind Armenia's Artur Davtyan, and a bronze medal in the parallel bars final.
2.2.5. 2023: Coaching Change and World Championships
Carlos Yulo started his 2023 season on the World Cup circuit. At the Cottbus World Cup, he earned a bronze medal in parallel bars. He then achieved a full set of medals at the Doha World Cup, taking gold on the floor exercise, silver on the parallel bars, and bronze on the vault. His success continued at the Baku World Cup, where he claimed two gold medals in both the vault and parallel bars.
At the Southeast Asian Games, Yulo contributed to the Philippines' silver-medal finish in the team event, again behind Vietnam. He successfully defended his individual all-around title. In the event finals, he secured another gold medal on the parallel bars and a silver medal on the still rings.
Yulo competed at the 2023 Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, earning a silver medal in the all-around, placing behind Japan's Shinnosuke Oka. He had a stellar performance in the event finals, winning three gold medals in the floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars, along with a bronze medal on the horizontal bar. Following the Asian Championships, Yulo and his long-time coach, Munehiro Kugimiya, amicably parted ways due to personal reasons, with Yulo expressing gratitude for their fruitful partnership a year later. He subsequently reunited with Aldrin Castañeda, who had coached him during his junior career. Yulo opted to skip the 2022 Asian Games (which were postponed to 2023) to prioritize his preparation for the World Championships.
During the qualification round of the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Yulo faced significant challenges. He fell on his back during his still rings dismount and crashed his vault, resulting in a zero score for not landing feet-first. These errors led to him finishing last among the 91 gymnasts competing in the all-around. Despite these setbacks, he still qualified for the floor exercise final, where he ultimately finished fourth. Critically, as the highest-ranked gymnast on floor exercise who had not already secured an Olympic spot through team or all-around competitions, Yulo successfully qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
2.2.6. 2024: Paris Olympic Champion Titles
Leading up to the 2024 season, Tomoharu Sano was initially slated to replace Munehiro Kugimiya as Carlos Yulo's new coach, but he later withdrew from the role. In February 2024, Yulo trained with Lee Jun-ho in South Korea and Jake Jarman in Lilleshall, England, seeking support from potential rivals. By October 2024, it was confirmed that Aldrin Castañeda would remain Yulo's personal coach.
Yulo began the 2024 competitive season by securing a bronze medal on the floor exercise at the Baku World Cup. His performance at the Doha World Cup yielded further success, as he won a gold medal on the parallel bars and a silver medal on the vault. He then achieved a significant milestone at the Asian Championships in Tashkent, clinching his first continental all-around title. He followed this with three more gold medals in the event finals: floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars.
At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, Yulo qualified for the men's individual all-around, vault, and floor exercise finals. He first competed in the individual all-around final on July 31, placing 12th overall with a total score of 83.032 points.
On August 3, Yulo delivered a historic performance in the men's floor exercise final, earning a score of 15.000 points to secure the gold medal. This momentous victory made him the first Filipino man and the first Filipino gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal. He became only the second Filipino ever to win an Olympic gold, following Hidilyn Diaz's triumph in women's 55 kg weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics. The very next day, August 4, Yulo won his second gold medal of the Games in the vault, achieving a score of 15.116 points. This made him the Philippines' first-ever multiple-time Olympic champion and the first Southeast Asian athlete to win multiple gold medals at the Olympic Games.
As a direct result of his outstanding Olympic achievements, the Philippine government and various private entities pledged numerous incentives for Yulo, including substantial monetary rewards and residential properties.
Following the 2024 Summer Olympics, Yulo announced that he would take a break from competition for the remainder of the year. The Gymnastics Association of the Philippines expressed intentions to hire a foreign coach to develop a gymnastics team for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, though it was later decided that Aldrin Castañeda would continue as Yulo's personal coach.
3. Personal Life
Carlos Yulo is in a long-distance relationship with Chloe Anjeleigh San Jose, a content creator and student based in Melbourne, Australia. Their relationship began in 2020.
Yulo's relationship with his mother, Angelica, has been publicly reported as estranged. Yulo has accused his mother of misappropriating his funds without his full consent, and both parties have acknowledged that his relationship with San Jose has contributed to the strained family dynamic. This family dispute gained wider public attention shortly after Yulo secured his first gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The family feud continued to be a subject of public discussion until at least September 2024, when Yulo stated that he had moved on from these personal issues and preferred not to comment further publicly.
In October 2024, Yulo formally joined the Philippine Navy as a reservist, receiving the rank of Petty Officer First Class.
4. Legacy and Public Perception
Carlos Yulo's achievements have profoundly impacted Philippine sports, elevating artistic gymnastics to national prominence and inspiring a new generation of athletes. His historic victories at the Olympic Games and World Championships have cemented his status as a national hero and one of the most successful Filipino athletes in history.
His groundbreaking performance at the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, where he became the first Filipino and male Southeast Asian gymnast to win a medal, marked a significant shift in the perception of Philippine gymnastics. This was further amplified by his gold medal at the 2019 World Championships, making him the first Filipino and Southeast Asian world champion in the sport. The Philippine Senate notably highlighted his success, despite his relatively short stature, as a catalyst for the government to invest more resources into sports where physical height is not a limiting factor.
Yulo's double gold medal haul at the 2024 Paris Olympics solidified his legacy, making him the first Filipino male Olympic gold medalist and the first Filipino to win multiple Olympic golds. His success brought immense pride to the nation and led to substantial recognition from both the government and private sector, including significant monetary incentives and residential properties. This reflects his broader influence beyond sports, as he has become a symbol of national aspiration and perseverance, greatly impacting public perception of Filipino athletic capabilities on the global stage.
5. Competitive History
| Year | Event | Team | AA | FX | PH | SR | VT | PB | HB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Youth | |||||||||
| 2009 | |||||||||
| Palarong Pambansa | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2010 | |||||||||
| Palarong Pambansa | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2011 | |||||||||
| Palarong Pambansa | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| National Games | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | |
| 2012 | |||||||||
| Palarong Pambansa | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | |
| 2013 | |||||||||
| Palarong Pambansa | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | - | |
| Junior | |||||||||
| 2014 | |||||||||
| ASEAN School Games | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | |
| Pacific Rim Championships | - | - | 6 | - | - | 8 | - | - | |
| 2015 | |||||||||
| Toyota International Junior Competition | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | |
| 2016 | |||||||||
| Pacific Rim Championships | - | 3 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | |
| 2017 | |||||||||
| Junior Asian Championships | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | |
| Toyota International Junior Competition | - | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | - | |
| Senior | |||||||||
| 2018 | |||||||||
| Melbourne World Cup | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | |
| Baku World Cup | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | |
| Doha World Cup | - | - | 2 | - | - | 5 | - | - | |
| National Games | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Asian Games | - | 7 | 7 | - | - | 4 | - | - | |
| World Championships | - | 23 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Cottbus World Cup | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Toyota International | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | - | |
| 2019 | |||||||||
| Melbourne World Cup | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Doha World Cup | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Asian Championships | - | 8 | 4 | - | - | 4 | 7 | - | |
| All-Japan Senior Championships | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| World Championships | - | 10 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Southeast Asian Games | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2020 | All-Japan Senior Championships | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - |
| All-Japan Championships | - | - | 3 | - | - | 3 | - | - | |
| 2021 | All-Japan Event Championships | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - |
| Olympic Games | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | |
| All-Japan Senior Championships | - | - | 1 | - | - | 3 | - | - | |
| World Championships | - | - | 5 | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | |
| 2022 | Southeast Asian Games | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Asian Championships | 9 | 2 | 1 | 4 | - | 1 | 1 | - | |
| World Championships | - | 8 | 7 | - | R2 (Yulo was the second reserve for the final.) | 2 | 3 | - | |
| All-Japan Team Championships | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2023 | Cottbus World Cup | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - |
| Doha World Cup | - | - | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | - | |
| Baku World Cup | - | - | - | - | 7 | 1 | 1 | - | |
| Southeast Asian Games | 2 | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | |
| Asian Championships | 7 | 2 | 1 | - | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| World Championships | - | 91 | 4 | - | - | 0 | R2 (Yulo was the second reserve for the final.) | - | |
| 2024 | Baku World Cup | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Doha World Cup | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | |
| Asian Championships | 6 | 1 | 1 | 6 | - | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Olympic Games | - | 12 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | |
6. Honors and Awards
Carlos Yulo has received numerous accolades and honors throughout his career, recognizing his outstanding contributions to gymnastics and his role as a national inspiration.
6.1. National honors
- Philippines:
- Presidential Medal of Merit (2024)
6.2. Awards
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| KG Management Awards | 2022 | GAP-KG MVP Award | Won |
| PSA Annual Awards | 2018 | Minor citation | Honored |
| 2019 | Major award | Honored | |
| 2020 | President's Award | Honored | |
| 2022 | Honored | ||
| 2023 | Major award | Honored | |
| 2024 | Honored | ||
| 2025 | PSA Athlete of the Year | Honored | |
| Siklab Sports Youth Awards | 2018 | POC Young Heroes Award | Honored |
6.3. Listicles
| Publisher | Listicle | Year(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forbes | 30 Under 30 - Asia - Entertainment & Sports | 2020 | Placed |
6.4. Other awards
| Award | Awarder | Year | For... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador Commendation | Embassy of Japan to the Philippines, Ambassador Koji Haneda | 2019 | ...his "efforts in enhancing the relationship between Japan and the Philippines." |
