Social media was abuzz about Jake Jarman's performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and there were speculations that the British-Filipino gymnast might represent the Philippines in the 2028 Olympics. Mum's the word for Jake Jarman, which seems to speak volumes. Does the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines have a grander plan?
It looks that way. Filipino sports fans can look forward to the very near future, when the Philippines enters the all-around team event in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. And possibly the 2028 Summer Olympics.
The possibility of a Philippine team competing in the World Athletic Gymnastics Championships, and the Men's Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, isn't a wild idea. Or a spur of the moment. Carlos Yulo's success had something to do with it. The all-around team event is one of two blue-riband events in gymnastics. As a matter of fact, some gymnastics fans are arguing if the team event carries more weight than the all-around individual event. We think not. No one can diminish Yulo's two gold medals in the World Artistic Gymnastic Championships, but participating in the all-around team event would be extra special. He would get the chance to compete along with his younger brother, but we should get to that part later.
Bea Lucero was one of the top athletes of the late 1980s. She won three gold medals in the 1987 Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. This achievement would've qualified her for an Olympic Qualifier. A good result could've made her the first PInay gymnast to participate in Summer Olympics. But sports politics reared its ugly head. Lucero was the victim. Her Olympic dreams were dashed, but she switched to taekwondo.
Sports politics is a given. In fact, more Filipino athletes would have excelled on the world stage if there was more support. Carlos Yulo wasn't an exception. Yulo had the credentials prior to his winning two gold medals in Paris, but there wasn't any guarantee. He's lucky about the support system in gymnastics.
The Manileno credited Cynthia Carrion, the president of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines, behind his success. And it wasn't hard to imagine Carrion fighting with other sports officials, and government officials, to provide Yulo with that much-needed support. Could Carrion have been thinking of the Philippines competing on the world stage? Yes. Now is the good time to do it.
Russia, or the former Soviet Union, and Japan dominated men’s gymnastics for decades. The collapse of the Soviet Union changed the gymnastic landscape, such that the Russians had to compete along Japan and China for supremacy in men’s gymnastics. A group of young, talented Russian athletes, led by Nikita Nargonyy, got the chance to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.
They won the gold medal, the first by Russia since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. These Russians competed under the neutral name of Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), as the international sports community condemned the systematic doping in Russia. The conflict in Ukraine was like hitting a nail to the coffin, as it would mean that Russia couldn’t send their talented gymnasts to the Olympics. Enter the Philippine gymnastics team.
Vietnam dominated men’s gymnastics, winning the all-around team event these last five editions. Some local fans find it strange, as Vietnam didn’t medal in the Men’s Asian Artistic Gymnastic Championships, World Artistic Gymnastics Championship, and the Summer Olympics. Yet.
Not even one Vietnamese gymnast won a gold in the all-around individual event, or any of the apparatus finals, which would make Yulo’s achievements more remarkable. It was Yulo’s dream that what he had done would inspire the younger generation of Filipino gymnasts. And the all-around team event would be IT. This could be the right time for Filipino sports fans to meet the other Filipino gymnasts who have been in Yulo’s shadow.
Eldrew Yulo. The younger brother of Carlos Yulo won seven gold medals in the recent Palarong Bansa. He also entered the 2024 Asian Gymnastics Union Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Uzbekistan (last May), winning the gold medal in the vault. Expectations of the younger Yulo went up after big brother’s double gold in Paris. Eldrew may be small (like Carlo), but his build is ideal in men’s gymnastics. His success bodes well for the future of Philippine gymnastics.
Juancho Miguel Besana. The 21-year old Besana led the Philippine gymnastics team in the 2022 Asian Games. (Yulo skipped the quadrennial multi-sport event because he chose to focus on the Paris Olympics.) He was also invited to enter two apparatus events in the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships (in Antwerp, Belgium).
Ivan Cruz. Cruz, who also hails from Manila, is a big winner in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games (in Phnom Penh, Cambodia). He won the gold medal in the floor after leading the Philippine men’s gymnastic team to a silver in the all-around team event.
Cynthia Carrion must convince British Gymnastics to let go of Jarman. The British-Filipino gymnast succeeded Matt Whitlock as the top British gymnast after Jarman won four gold medals in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Expectations went high after the native of Peterborough won the gold in the vault at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship. Jarman could’ve won the Olympic gold medal in the vault if he wasn’t penalized.
Top athletes representing their mother’s, or father’s, homeland is nothing new. And Jarman’s move might make him a better gymnast. After all, China and Japan have an intense rivalry in men’s gymnastics these last few decades. It can rub off on our gymnasts. It’s time for the Philippine men’s gymnastics team to make this sport more exciting. As for Jarman, his silence is very telling. What do you think?
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