Yulo near perfect with 5 gold medals

PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan, Philippines — Gymnast Karl Eldrew Yulo of Manila showed it’s in their blood as he harvested five gold medals even as tankers Aubrey Tom of Cainta and Mark Bryan Dula of Parañaque had four apiece at the pool in the Batang Pinoy National Finals here yesterday.

Yulo, 11, executed a tougher routine compared to what he did in the Luzon Leg in Ilagan, Isabela early this year, and that may have caused him to snag just five golds – vault (9.550), floor exercise (9.150), parallel bars (9.600), mushroom (9.600) and individual all-around (47.400) – out of the possible seven in this weeklong event backed by Milo.

He wound up with a silver in both the high bar and the team event alongside Williard Pasana and John Timothy Manalon.

Although he fell short in his bid to match his seven-gold effort in Baguio City last year, it was still enough to make his elder brother Caloy, the 2018 World Championship bronze medalist, proud.

“I did what my coach told me, which is to do a more advanced routine,” said Yulo.

Tom, who scooped up three in the 100m freestyle, 50m back and 200m individual medley the other day, added a fourth gold by ruling the 50-m butterfly in 31.41 seconds while Dula caught up with the former after he topped the 50m fly and 200m back in 29.28 and 2:31.95, respectively, to add to his early triumphs in the 50m back and 100m fly.

Hidilyn Diaz’s own weightlifting school started to produce winners as Zamboanga City bagged three golds, two of them won by his nieces Alexandra Ann Diaz (girls’ 26kg) and Princess Jay Ann Diaz (girls’ 30kg).

The other Zamboanga gold was delivered by Jeaneth Hipolito (girls’ 35kg).

In athletics, Kate Julianne Martinez ruled the girls’ shotput in 10.76m to add to her victory in the discus throw the day before.

In cycling, Pangasinan’s Rosalie dela Cruz and Malaybalay’s Eleora Caelle Avanzado rode their way to the individual time trial golds in their respective brackets.

Reigning ASEAN champion Ruelle Canino blew away the competition in claiming the girls 12-under rapid gold in chess to steal some of the spotlight from a powerhouse Dasmariñas, Cavite squad, which pocketed two of the four golds staked courtesy of FIDE Master Mark Jay Bacojo and Jerlyn Mae San Diego in the 13-15 class.