Elite Elaiza: Youngest Yulo scores 5 golds in Palarong Pambansa secondary debut

CEBU, Philippines – Elaiza Yulo continued to prove she’s a fine chip off the old block after storming through the Palarong Pambansa 2024 girls secondary division with a stellar haul of five gold medals out of a possible six after the artistic gymnastics apparatus finals on Sunday, July 14.

Unfazed with a sudden schedule change from 1 pm to 9 am, the 14-year-old came into the Cebu Institute of Technology-University guns blazing, scoring a quick gold in uneven bars with a 9.85 score over National Capital Region (NCR) teammate Amara Zoe Lagdameo and Western Visayas’ Sarah Lee Thompson.

Yulo then bounced back from an iffy performance in the balance beam qualifiers, staying stumble-free in the final for a golden 12.05 score, ahead of Calabarzon’s Jewel Rich Dagohoy and Central Luzon’s Tallula Adrienne Rose Nadres.

The US-trained Yulo likewise excelled in the floor exercise final – a family staple – with a Naruto anime-themed routine to finish with 10.9 points, enough for a double gold tie with NCR teammate Cielo Esliza. Given the stalemate at the top, no silver medal was awarded as Nadres claimed bronze.

Already holding two golds from the individual and team all-around categories, Yulo had her lone dip in the medal tally with a vault event silver, as a noticeably bad landing in the first attempt caused her to just score 11.65 and bow to eventual gold medalist Nadres (11.775).

“I’m so happy and surprised because this is only my first Palaro in the secondary level,” a beaming Yulo said in Filipino after the event.

“My US training helped a lot. I cleaned up a lot of my movements and skills,” added Yulo, the youngest sister of Olympian Carlos and rising talent Eldrew.

Despite missing the clean gold sweep, a five-gold haul is still no small feat even for an athlete of Yulo’s caliber, especially considering that she still has four years of Palaro eligibility in the secondary level.

If her Palaro 2024 run is any indication, Elaiza Yulo’s dominance in the local ranks is only going to get better with time – an idea that just seems unfair to even fathom. – Rappler.com