DIVERSE weather conditions in a three-month span will be among the challenges that ace gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo will face when he springs back into action this year, starting with the first leg of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup series from Feb. 23 to 26 in Cottbus, Germany.
“Pabago-bago ng weather kaya mahirap po mag-adjust,” said Yulo, who will fly on Sunday to the German city where the temperatures can dip below zero because it is still winter in Europe.
The pint-sized athlete, who was cited by the Senate in person last week for his international accomplishments in 2022, said he found it hard to adjust right away to the local climate after coming from Tokyo, which is also having its cold season.
“Medyo nabigla po ako at nahirapan huminga nu’ng pumunta sa first day ko sa gym.
Parang kulob. Nag-stop sa middle ng practice,” Yulo recalled of his first practice day at the Gymnastics of Association of the Philippines gym in Intramuros, Manila.
He added that he will have to adjust to hot weather in the second leg of the World Cup series from March 1 to 4 in Doha, Qatar but will encounter cool climate once again in the third leg slated March 9 to 12 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The last leg will be in hot and humid Cairo, Egypt from April 27 to 30, according to the athlete, who will be joined in the World Cup series by Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya, the mentor of the national men’s artistic gymnastics team.
Accompanying Yulo in the first two legs is national teammate Juan Miguel Besana, a bronze medalist in the men’s vault in last year’s Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, who intends to see action in his pet event and the horizontal bar.
Yulo, who will compete in the parallel bars, floor exercise, rings and vault, said he is scaling back on his routines and building them up from scratch to achieve better consistency in execution as he gears up for his Olympic qualifying campaign.
After seeing action in the 31st Cambodia SEA Games in May, Yulo will see action in Singapore from June 12 to 18 for the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
The top eight finalists in the men’s all-around event in the Asian competition will qualify for the 52nd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium in September.
The world meet is the main qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
