Caloy Yulo might compete in SEAG floor exercise final after all; PH team coach Reyland Capellan explains how

While already been designated as the finalist for both the parallel and high bars, Caloy Yulo might still see action in the floor final if he makes the cut there. Jade Moya (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—During the sendoff event for the Southeast Asian Games athletes on April 24, gymnastics president Cynthia Carrion-Norton bared that Caloy Yulo can only win up to four medals this year, two for specific apparatuses and the all-around events for individual and team.

Norton then said that Yulo has chosen to go all-in in the parallel and high bars, seemingly letting go of his pet event, the floor exercise.

However, national team coach Reyland Capellan clarified on Tuesday night that Yulo could still sneak into the floor final, but that depends on how the other team members would fare in the preliminaries.

"Depende if papasok si Carlos Edriel doon sa apparatus na yun, pero once na hindi makapasok yung sinet naming athlete doon sa floor exercise, pwede naming ibigay na lang kay Carlos Yulo yung floor exercise.

According to a source, the Philippine team has designated Ivan Cruz to go for broke in the floor exercise, but even its other members, Miguel Besana, Jan Timbang, Jhon Santillan, and Justine De Leon, could be in line to be the floor finalist aside from Yulo especially that the latter is nursing an ankle injury.

"Ibe-base pa rin namin doon sa result ng score nila sa individual apparatus sa Cambodia," Capellan continued. "Pwede naming ibigay kay Carlos Yulo yung floor if ever yung isa sa kanila, hindi makapasok ng finals."

Capellan clarified further that Yulo going for the apparatus golds in the parallel and high bars is not yet cast in stone.

"May time pa rin siyang pumili ng event na gusto nyang laruan. Hihintayin muna yung result ng qualification. Sa anim na events, pwede lang pumili si Caloy ng dalawang apparatus. Kung hindi papasok sa floor final yung sinet namin doon tapos si Caloy hindi 100 percent na maggo-gold sa high bar, iiwan namin yung high bar at ibibigay namin kay Caloy yung floor," Capellan further said.

Last year in Hanoi, Yulo won it all in the floor exercise, shared the gold with Vietnam's Dinh Phuong Thanh in the high bar, and settled for the silver in the parallel bars.

Yulo, however, has since won multiple parallel bar medals on the world stage, making him a cinch to clinch the SEA Games gold in the said apparatus.

Capellan, meanwhile, bared that the possible shakeup on who's playing what is part of the mind games the national team could employ in Phnom Penh.

"Ganun yung tactic namin," Capellan further said.

The men's artistic gymnastics event of the SEA Games will happen from May 8-9.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno