PARIS. – The Philippines celebrated its hundred years of Olympic participation in the most spectacular and historic way – through two gold medals courtesy of gymnast Carlos “Caloy” Yulo.
“It took three generations for Hidilyn (Diaz) to win our first Olympic gold in Tokyo, and it took another Olympic cycle to double that achievement,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said Monday, the morning after Yulo’s amazing Paris weekend where he won the floor exercise last Saturday and the vault last Sunday.
“Answered prayers,” Tolentino said in an almost hoarse voice as he cheered every Filipino competing in the Olympics here.
“Caloy Yulo is definitely on a different level, with two Olympic gold medals, he will be on top of the conversation as the Philippines’ greatest athlete,” he said. “Mabuhay ka Caloy Yulo! The most bemedalled Pinoy athlete!
“Caloy is the most bemedaled athlete in Philippine history with 23 gold medals and a total of 38 medals,” said Tolentino, adding Lydia De Vega and Elma Muros-Posadas each won 24 medals in their careers. “We all love them.”
The celebration, Tolentino said, is not over–especially the expectations for more gold medals.
“EJ [Obiena] and Aira [Villegas] and Nesthy [Petecio] are to go on board and the confidence level for them to succeed is that high,” Tolentino said.
Obiena was set to compete in the men’s pole vault final Monday night (Tuesday morning in Manila) while flyweight Villegas and featherweight Petecio, both guaranteed bronze medals, fight for berths in the boxing finals this week.
