Karl Eldrew Yulo came close to a podium finish before lower scores on the pommel horse, rings, and parallel bars dropped him to eighth place in the men’s individual all-around finals of the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships, Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the Manila Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.
Yulo surged as high as second after a standout floor routine — his fourth event — earning the day’s top score of 14.300 before a packed crowd that included Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
But he slipped in the standings with a 13.000 on the pommel horse and 12.066 on the rings, allowing other contenders to overtake him as he closed out his rotation. A wobbly dismount on the parallel bars proved costly as well, giving him 12.833. He also posted 13.466 on the vault and 13.006 on the horizontal bar.
There was brief concern when Yulo skipped his mixed-zone interview to immediately treat a sprained right ankle. He reappeared about 30 minutes later to apologize.
“Biglang sumakit po pagkatapos ng triple twist ko sa floor tapos po may biglang kirot (It suddenly hurt after my triple twist on the floor, and then there was a sharp pain),” he said, explaining the delay.
Flashing a smile, he assured reporters he would push on: “Medyo may kirot, pero Pilipino tayo, kaya dapat ilaban. Pipilitin po nating kakayaning ito (There’s a bit of pain, but we’re Filipinos, we fight through it. I’ll push myself to get through this).”
Yulo said he remains satisfied with his performance despite falling short of the podium. “I am still proud of myself, even if I did not make it to the top three. I got to be in the top eight and within the top 10 after finishing the qualifications at No. 15. Next time, I will do my very best. Hindi kinaya ng powers ko. But it’s okay since I still have some events left (My strength just wasn’t enough. But it’s okay since I still have some events left),” he added.
Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion said Yulo’s showing remains impressive for a junior world championship contender.
“He really had a very good floor exercise, but is not at his best in the pommel horse and rings, which eventually pulled him down in the standings,” she said. “But Eldrew assured he will go out for gold in his remaining events.” PR