Two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo has secured his place in two medal events at the 2026 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, advancing to the floor exercise and vault finals in Rotterdam, Netherlands, after impressive performances in the qualification round.
The 26-year-old Filipino gymnast delivered his strongest showing in the floor exercise, earning 14.500 points to finish second among the qualifiers. Russia’s Arsenii Dukhno led the field with 14.700, while Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat, the 2020 Olympic floor champion, placed third with 14.300.
Yulo opened his floor routine with a demanding twisting combination and finished with a double layout, absorbing only a small hop on the landing. His performance placed him among the leading contenders for the gold medal in an event where he previously captured his first world championship title in 2019.
In the vault qualification, Yulo finished sixth with an average score of 14.266 across two attempts. His first vault received 14.000 after judges assigned it a lower difficulty value than initially expected, while his second attempt earned 14.533. Great Britain’s Jake Jarman and Armenia’s Artur Davtyan shared the top qualifying score at 14.633.
The results give Yulo another opportunity to build on his international achievements, which include two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, three world championship titles, and two gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. He will be seeking to reclaim the world floor title and defend his vault championship from 2025.
Yulo’s success in his two signature apparatuses came despite missing the men’s individual all-around final. He finished 34th overall with 77.631 points, outside the top 24 qualification spots, leaving floor exercise and vault as his remaining medal opportunities.
His younger brother, Karl Eldrew Yulo, and fellow Filipino gymnast Juancho Miguel Besana also competed in the men’s qualifications but did not advance to the apparatus finals.
The floor and vault finals are scheduled for October 24 and 25, when Yulo will face some of the world’s strongest specialists in pursuit of another podium finish. Although qualification rankings do not guarantee medals, his second-place finish on floor and solid vault performance put him in contention for further international success.
With two finals appearances secured, Yulo remains firmly in the medal race, carrying the Philippines’ hopes for another world gymnastics championship victory.
Image from POC MediaÂ