Seoul, South Korea — While other athletes bask in praise after every win, Carlos Yulo, the once-revered Filipino gymnastics prodigy, finds himself in a painful silence. Just days ago, Yulo clinched yet another gold medal at a major international gymnastics competition in South Korea — but his victory was met with cold indifference back home.

No headlines. No trending hashtags. No major TV reports.

The same country that once proudly screamed his name now seems to have forgotten he even exists.

“I didn’t do it for fame. But yes… it hurts,” a close source quoted Yulo, speaking softly after his win.

Another Gold, Another Reminder: Fame Fades Fast

Carlos Yulo dominated the men’s floor exercise at the 2024 Asian Gymnastics Championships held in Seoul, beating athletes from powerhouse countries like China, Japan, and South Korea.

Judges praised his precision, technique, and fearless execution, awarding him one of the highest scores in the tournament. The gold medal is his third international title this year, but it barely made a ripple in Philippine news.

Compare that to years past — when every medal Yulo won brought TV specials, talk show interviews, and front-page banners. This time? Not even a trending tweet.

From National Pride to Neglected Icon

Carlos Yulo first rose to fame in 2019 after becoming the first Filipino world champion in gymnastics. His victory sparked nationwide celebrations, government praise, and promises of full support.

But slowly — and painfully — the spotlight faded.

As newer sports idols emerged and social media moved on, Yulo’s name began to disappear from mainstream attention. Today, he’s still winning — but barely noticed.

“It’s heartbreaking,” one former national coach said. “He’s out there making history, but back home, everyone’s too busy with celebrity gossip and basketball drama.”

Why Was His Victory Ignored?

Analysts point to media priorities, lack of grassroots sports programs, and the public’s short attention span.

“Filipinos love a success story — but only while it’s trending,” said a sports columnist. “Carlos is not flashy. He’s not controversial. He just wins quietly. And in today’s digital world, quiet champions get buried.”

Others believe the government and sports bodies are to blame. No official statement was released by the Philippine Olympic Committee or the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines following his gold medal win.

“He represented the country with pride. Where’s the recognition? Where’s the honor due?” asked one netizen on X.

Carlos Yulo: Fighting Alone, Winning Alone

Despite the emotional toll, Yulo continues to train and compete abroad — often with limited fanfare and minimal government backing. He lives in Japan, training under world-class coaches, often far away from his family and countrymen.

“He’s sacrificing everything — time, youth, comfort — for a flag that no longer cheers as loudly as it once did,” said a documentary producer who once followed Yulo’s journey.

But Yulo remains grounded. After his gold-winning routine, he simply said:

“I’m grateful. I did my best. I hope the Philippines is proud.”

Even if they weren’t watching.

Fans Start Speaking Up: ‘We Let Him Down’

As news of Yulo’s win slowly started to leak through independent sports pages and fan-driven platforms, many Filipinos expressed guilt and regret.

“I had no idea he won again. Why wasn’t this on TV?”
“We only celebrate him when it’s convenient. That’s not fair.”
“Carlos Yulo deserves more than applause. He deserves respect.”

A few supporters launched an online campaign: #RecognizeCarlosYulo, urging media outlets and government bodies to highlight his victories and ensure he’s not forgotten again.

Conclusion: A Silent Champion in a Noisy World

Carlos Yulo continues to write history for the Philippines — but he does so in silence, with a medal in one hand and perhaps heartbreak in the other.

In a time when controversy and celebrity antics dominate headlines, true excellence like his often goes unnoticed.

But for those who are still listening, still watching, and still believing — one message rings louder than ever:

“Carlos Yulo never stopped making us proud. We just stopped paying attention.”

MANILA, Philippines — Carlos Yulo missed out on replicating his three-gold haul in the previous Senior Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, settling for a gold and three bronze medals this time in the South Korea edition.

The last two bronzes came from vault where he wound up with an average score of 14.333 behind Iranian Mahdi Olfati (14.5) and Chinese Huang Mingqi (14.4) and in parallel bars where he had a 14.166 behind Japanese Shinnosuke Oka (14.7) and Tomoharu Tsunoghai (14.466).

The Paris Olympics double-gold medalist tried to add another medal in the horizontal bar but a bad fall sent him down to seventh or second to last with a flat 12.

The Filipino spectacle from Leveriza in Manila failed to match his effort in last year’s staging in Tashkent, Uzbekistan where he harvested three golds in floor, vault and parallel bars.

Nonetheless, Yulo had a worthy showing, winning the gold in floor exercise and earlier snaring a bronze in the individual all around on Thursday.

More importantly, Yulo punched a ticket to the World Championships set Oct. 19 to 25 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Also, that floor exercise mint hiked his total in the annual event to a whopping 11.

Another Filipino, John Ivan Cruz also made the final in vault and wound up sixth with a 14.15.

Yulo’s younger brother Karl Eldrew went home with a silver from vault in the juniors’ division where he tallied 13.850.

South Korean Bak Junwoo copped the gold with a 13.933 while another home bet in Daegeon An snatched the silver with a 13.783