By Kristel Satumbaga
Philippine gymnastics and women’s boxing took centerstage this year after producing two world champions in Carlos Yulo and Nesthy Petecio.
World champions boxer Nesthy Petecio and gymnast Carlos Yulo (AIBA / AP)
Yulo came through with a performance to remember in the floor exercise and captured the historic first gold medal in the 49th FIG World Artistic Championships in Stuttgart, Germany last October.
Gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo performs in the floor exercise in the men’s apparatus finals at the 49th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Janeth Tenorio)
Performing second to last among the eight finalists, the 19-year-old Yulo displayed a flawless graceful performance to tally 15.300 ahead of top qualifier Artem Dolgopyat of Israel (15.200) and multiple world champion Xiao Ruoteng of China (14.933).
It was an epic win for the 19-year-old Yulo as he became the first Filipino and male Southeast Asian to become a world champion gymnast.
Prior to his feat, he qualified to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by finishing 10th in the individual all-around – making him the second Filipino to earn a ticket to the Games after pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
Less than 24 hours after Yulo’s victory, Petecio took the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships by storm in Ulan-Ude, Russia, reigning supreme in the featherweight division.
Petecio, the 27-year-old Davao del Sur native, prevailed over hometown bet Liudmila Vorontsova of Russia via split decision to make her the second Filipina world champion since Josie Gabuco won in 2012.
Nesthy Petecio, right, celebrates her victory against Russian boxer Liudmila Vorontsov in the featherweight division of the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. (AIBA)
Yulo and Petecio shone brighter early in December after winning more gold medals at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Yulo picked up two gold and five silver medals while Petecio outclassed Myanmar’s Oo New Ni in the same division that made her the world champion.
The feats made Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez optimistic on the country’s gold-medal quest in the Olympics, saying in earlier interviews that Yulo and Petecio’s accomplishments came at a time everyone is looking for new sports heroes.
“With the things we’re having, I think it’s a good evolution,” Ramirez said.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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