Historic Victory: Philippines’ First Male Athlete Wins Olympic Gold, Sparks #PinoyPride

Historic Victory Philippines' First Male Athlete Wins Olympic Gold, Sparks #PinoyPride

At the Paris Olympics, Team Philippines’s two-time gold medal-winning gymnast Carlos Yulo created a wave of Filipino pride with each tumble, handspring, and stuck landing.

The 24-year-old became the first male athlete in Philippine history to earn a gold medal when he won the men’s floor and vault competitions, solidifying his legendary status. And, quite rightly, the Filipino diaspora lacked composure. They have been emphasizing how much they admire their “golden boy’s” significant achievement.

Yulo first made history on Saturday by defeating Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat, the previous floor champion. The following day, he repeated the feat by defeating Artur Davtyan of Armenia and Harry Hepworth of Great Britain in the vault.

Yulo’s victories earned her the second person from the Philippines to win an individual gold medal, following weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who took first place in the women’s 55-kilogram event in the Tokyo Games in 2021. He also takes full credit for all of the medals won by the Philippines this year.

Social media has been even more vocal in supporting the two-time champion than the Bercy Arena crowd, which featured Team USA gold medalist Suni Lee. Online, the Filipino community has been applauding the gymnast for being able to “witness greatness” and posting heartfelt words about representation and their “Pinoy pride.”

Yulo even received a heartfelt congratulations from Diaz.

In Filipino, Diaz wrote, “I am proud of you, not only because of your medals, but also because of the hard work you went through to achieve success, for yourself and… especially for the country.”

Given the lack of resources in the Philippines, James Zarsadiaz, head of the University of San Francisco’s Yuchengco Philippine Studies Program, Yulo’s victories are especially noteworthy. Zarsadiaz clarified that the low financial investment in numerous sports, rather than the absence of medals by Filipino athletes, is the reason for this.

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“The countries that medal the most are the ones who have the most wealth, and their citizens have the most money and resources and networks,” he stated. “It’s also not seen as much of a priority … For a lot of people in countries like the Philippines, it’s about survival. And to engage in something like competing for the Olympics is a complete indulgence.”

According to Zarsadiaz, his victory also dispels the myth that Asian men are frail.

Yulo’s victory was well-deserved. It follows his Tokyo 2021 performance, where he was unable to get to the floor exercise finals. It seems like Yulo is processing everything right now.

Reference

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With more than two years of expertise in news and analysis, Eileen Stewart is a seasoned reporter. Eileen is a respected voice in this field, well-known for her sharp reporting and insightful analysis. Her writing covers a wide range of subjects, from politics to culture and more.