Carlos Yulo leads PSA’s April monthly achievers

MANILA – Gymnast Carlos Yulo and fellow athletes who qualified for the Paris Olympics were named the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s top achievers for April.

Yulo won two medals at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Qatar, a gold in parallel bars (15.200 points) and a silver in vault (15.066).

Fil-Am Levi Jung Ruivivar pocketed the silver medal in the uneven bars (13.633), getting enough points to secure a berth in the Olympics scheduled from July 26 to Aug. 11.

Weightlifters Elreen Ando, Vanessa Sarno, John Febuar Ceniza, fencer Samantha Catantan, and rower Joanie Delgaco also earned slots in the Paris-bound national contingent.

Ando posted a total lift of 228 kgs. at the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand to beat 2020 Tokyo Olympics champion Hidilyn Diaz in the women’s -59kg category.

Diaz, who delivered the country’s first gold medal after winning the -55kg event, only managed 224kgs.

Sarno registered a new Philippine record of 110kg in the women’s 71kg class while Ceniza performed well in the men’s 61kg event.

Catantan became the first Filipina fencer to qualify for the Olympics after a golden performance in the women’s foil event at the Asia Oceania Zone Olympic Qualifiers in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

Delgaco’s fourth-place finish in the women’s single sculls final round at the World Rowing Asia and Oceania Olympic Qualifiers in Chungju, South Korea made her the first Filipina rower to gain an Olympic slot.