CLEAN LANDING. Carlos Edriel Yulo topped the men’s artistic gymnastics vault event at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan on Friday (Sept. 25, 2026). He also ruled the floor exercise to win the Philippines its first two gold medals. (POC Media Pool photo)
NAGOYA, Japan — Carlos Yulo won his second gold medal of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday, taking the men’s vault title less than 24 hours after his floor exercise victory delivered the Philippines’ first gold of the Games.
The two-time Olympic champion averaged 14.599 across two vaults at Nagoya City General Gymnasium. He scored 14.733 on his first attempt and 14.466 on his second, finishing ahead of Iran’s Mahdi Olfati, who averaged 14.533. Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Ki took bronze with 14.116.
Filipino teammate Juancho Miguel Besana placed fifth with a 13.783 average.
Yulo returned later Friday for the parallel bars final, scoring 14.300 to finish fourth. China’s Zou Jingyuan won with 15.500, followed by Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka. Uzbekistan’s Rasuljon Abdurakhimov took bronze.
The result closed Yulo’s individual campaign with two gold medals from three apparatus finals.
His first title came Thursday on floor exercise, where he scored 14.666 to edge Kazakhstan’s Milad Karimi at 14.600 and Japan’s Shoma Tsukiyama at 14.566. Younger brother Karl Eldrew Yulo finished seventh.
The floor victory was Yulo’s first Asian Games medal and added the remaining major continental multi-sport title to a career that already included golds at the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Championships, World Championships and Olympics.
It also came eight years after his Asian Games debut in Jakarta, where he entered the floor final as the leading qualifier but finished seventh. Yulo described the Nagoya victory as redemption for that setback.
Yulo, 26, won Olympic gold on floor exercise and vault in Paris in 2024. He has said competitions in the current cycle are part of his preparation toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
