By Dion Mikhail Fetalvero

PHOTO: Rappler

Two-time world champion Carlos Edriel Yulo kickstarted his Southeast Asian Games campaign on a triumphant note after bagging the gold medal in the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all-around event and securing a silver medal in the team all-around at the 31st Southeast Asian Games, Friday, in Quan Ngua Sports Palace, Vietnam.
The Filipino Olympian gathered a score of 85.150 out of the six different apparatuses, successfully defending the individual all-around throne he won in Manila last 2019.

Among the disciplines, Yulo cemented his world-class pedigree in the parallel bars after posting a score of 15.200, a 0.100-point shy of his performance in the 50th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, where he finished as runner-up.

Meanwhile, the Philippine team, led by Yulo and composed of Jan Gwynn Timbang, Juancho Miguel Besana Eserio, John Ivan Cruz, Justine Ace De Leon, and John Matthew Vergara, finished second in the team all-around event with 301.600 points.

Timbang achieved a 71.800 score throughout his performances while Eserio received a 71.750 score.

However, this was not enough to overlap the hometown bets as the Vietnamese team clinched the gold in the team event and the second to fifth ranks in the individual standings, with Thanh Tung Lee and Phuong Thanh Dinh bagging the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Overall, the Vietnamese posted a 331.250 team score, while Singapore clinched the bronze with 297.650.

Yulo will see action anew in the men’s floor and pommel horse on Sunday, where he is expected to bag more medals for the country.