A support group which will help Olympian Carlos Yulo improve on his performances in international meets is now being assembled.
For a start, a sports psychologist will soon take note of Yulo’s progress while in training and during competitions.
Gymnastics Association of the Philippines Cynthia Carrion said she finally got the approval of the Philippine Sports Commission to get a support team to help in Yulo’s further development.
“Now, he will be mentally prepared. You will soon see the difference,” said Carrion.
The gymnastics’ chief is following the formula used by Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, who had a support group called Team HD, composed of a foreign coach, strength and conditioning coach, masseuse, sports psychologist and a sports nutritionist.
The 22-year-old Yulo, who has returned to Japan following a weeklong visit in Manila, seeks to redeem himself in his pet event in the coming FIG World Championships in Liverpool.
To prepare for the world meet, Yulo will also compete in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam and Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
And he will have seven months to get his acts together.
“It’s very important for his mental strength. And this is what failed him in the Olympics,” added Carrion.
Yulo, who finished fourth in the vault of the men’s artistics event in Tokyo last year, was in Manila to visit his family and inaugurate a new gymnastics’ facility in Intramuros on Saturday.
Last November, Yulo finished with a gold and a silver medal at the end of his routines at the Japanet Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.
Yulo grabbed a gold in the vault exercises and a silver in the parallel bars.
But he did not finish in the podium of his favorite event, the men’s floor exercise, where he was expected to bag a medal.
Now back in Tokyo, Yulo, is getting ready for the SEA Games with his coach Munehiro Kugimiya.
He will be part of a six-men’s squad, which is also composed of John Gwyn Timbang, Justine Ace de Leon, Juancho Miguel Besana, Johan Ivan Cruz and John Romeo Santillan.