Gold medallist Carlos Yulo’s hero’s return to Manila marred by feud with mother

After finishing first in the men’s floor and vault competitions last week – the second and third gold medals earned by the Philippines in Olympic history – Yulo will receive a Presidential Medal of Merit from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr at the Malacañang Palace, Manila’s presidential residence and office, upon his return to his homeland on Tuesday evening.

Other Philippine athletes who competed in the Paris Games, including bronze-winning boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, are set to receive presidential citations.

The affair will be “simple but meaningful”, according to a palace official, adding that the heroes’ welcome will be “very much focused on them and what they have done to honour the nation.”

A parade honouring the Olympians will also take place on Wednesday in Manila.

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Philippine gymnast Carlos Yulo bags 2 gold medals as fans erupt in cheers

“I was just hoping to perform well. I didn’t really expect a medal,” Yulo told the media in Paris after winning his second gold.

“It really felt like a bonus for me. It’s crazy, because last night I couldn’t sleep. I was so hyped because I had won that gold medal [the day before].”

Since Yulo entered the media spotlight, he has also been at the centre of a highly public feud with his mother, which fans have argued has detracted from his achievements.

Social media posts in which Yulo’s mother, Angelica Poquiz Yulo, seemed to criticise her son’s performances at the Olympics and express indifference to his historic wins made the rounds online, fuelling rumours the two had a strained relationship due to allegations of misspent money and his mother’s disapproval of his girlfriend, Chloe San Jose, a content creator on TikTok.

After Yulo earned his second medal on August 6, a