Filipinos were up to their seats to witness history
INSTEAD of going to bed at the late hours of rainy Saturday night, millions of Filipinos back home were up to their seats on all available platforms, live and on-demand, to witness history — or not.
The gamble — and the wait — paid off as Carlos “Caloy” Yulo, albeit thousands of miles away, did not disappoint in tumbling his way to a coveted gold medal in the floor exercise event of the Paris Olympics men’s gymnastics.
Already the greatest Filipino gymnast of all time with a bevy of titles in the Asian and world championship levels, Mr. Yulo became only the second Filipino Olympic gold medalist and first Southeast Asian gymnast to ever scale the Mt. Olympus.
And who else stood at the forefront of the congratulatory list but his predecessor, Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, gold winner of weightlifting in Tokyo in 2021 to snap a 97-year wait for the Philippines.
“For you, Caloy. I’m proud of you. Enjoy it,” beamed Ms. Diaz-Naranjo in the wee hours of Sunday when the Philippines was wide awake after Mr. Yulo secured his place in the books after a couple of misses and heartbreaks.
It was only two years ago when Ms. Diaz-Naranjo finally shattered the floodgates for the sports-crazed Filipino nation, fueling the drive of local athletes.
It did not take long for a follow-up on that trail with Mr. Yulo, after a heartbreaking fourth-place finish in Tokyo to miss the podium by 0.017 point, taking care of business in the Philippines’ 100-year anniversary of Olympic participation.
In Paris, even the members of the 22-strong Philippine delegation tuned in, either from the Athletes Village or at the venue proper, to Mr. Yulo’s golden leap.
“Our first Paris Olympics Gold Medal. Congratulations,” said Mr. Marcial, a bronze medalist in Tokyo but had an early exit in Paris.
Following his glory in France that became a trending topic on all social media platforms worldwide, Mr. Yulo became a rockstar with lines of foreigners trying to get a photo opportunity and secure a photograph.
Back home where a truckload of rewards await him, he’s a hero for an army of Filipinos, who will rally behind him once more in his quest for a second gold medal in the vault finals.
Bed time can wait. For Filipinos here, all will be praying at the same hour for the same results. — John Bryan Ulanday