Yulo, 21, finished in 44th place in the qualifying phase with a 13.566 effort in the men’s floor exercise – well outside the top 8 that will battle for the gold in an event where the Filipino is the reigning world champion and gold-medal favorite here.
The soft-spoken gymnast, however, made up for it with a solid 14.712-point performance in the vault apparatus, good for sixth spot and a place in the finals set on August 2.
“Nagulat nga po ako,” Yulo said. “Hindi ko po alam na nakapasok ako.” Yulo has not reached the finals of the vault in any major tournament until now, but promised to make the most of the opportunity.
But to land a medal, Yulo said he may need to get to the 15 level, which he said will entail sticking both his landings in the finals.
“Malabo po. Marami pong magaling,” he said when asked about his medal chances. “Kaya pa pong itaas yan,” Yulo said of his 14.712 in qualifying.
