Yulo’s sister to take up gymnastics training in US

Elaiza “Iza” Yulo, 12-year-old sister of world-class gymnast Carlos Yulo, will undergo intensive training in the United States under a foreign coach.

Iza is expected to train in the US for three months starting June to prepare her for major international competitions.

Gymnastics has been the most productive national sports association in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi recently.

Carlos Yulo won the gold in the individual all-around, floor exercise, rings, vault and horizontal bar apparatuses while settling for silver in parallel bars.

He led the Philippine gymnastics team composed of Jan Gwynn Timbang, Juancho Miguel Besana, John Ivan Cruz, Justine Ace de Leon and John Matthew Vergara to a silver medal finish behind the host country Vietnam in team event.

Aleah Finnegan, young Filipino-American gymnast, also won two medals to show the Filipino gymnasts’ dominance in the region’s most prestigious tournament.

Iza will join the elite circle of Filipino athletes in training in the US together with Filipino coaches.

Aside from Iza, Yulo’s brother, 14-year-old Karl Eldrew, is also into gymnastics and won multiple medals in the recent editions of Palarong Pambansa.

Philippine gymnastics deputy secretary general Rowena Bautista confirmed that the younger Yulo will train in the US with details still being threshed out.

Iza’s foreign coach may be invited to the country either September or October to scout for potential talents.

Some years back, Carlos Yulo was discovered by a Japanese coach, Munehiro Kugimiya who turned Yulo into a gold medalist in the World Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships and competitor in the Tokyo Olympics while studying as an athletic scholar in Teikyo University in Tokyo.

Iza said her older brother fully supports her decision to follow his path.

“He told me to just do my best and improve, especially in vault (apparatus),” Iza said.