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MANILA, Philippines – As far as Carlos Yulo is concerned, there is no bad blood between him and his former Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya even after they went their separate ways.
Yulo said he will always be indebted to Kugimiya, who guided the Filipino gymnast on the way to becoming a world champion.
“That is almost half of my life,” the 24-year-old Yulo said in Filipino in an exclusive interview with Rappler when asked about his decade-long partnership with Kugimiya. “I’m really grateful to that man and the things he did for me.”
“Saying ‘thank you’ is not enough. I thank him very much because he is one of the people who molded my being. He supported my dreams, believed in me, and provided for me so I can reach the stage where I am now,” he added.
Kumigiya took Yulo under his wing when the then-teenager left the Philippines in 2016 to train in Japan.
There, Yulo – overcoming the cultural differences, language barrier, and homesickness – got better by leaps and bounds with Kugimiya calling the shots.
After two years, Yulo won his first medal in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, snagging a floor exercise bronze in 2018.
More precious hardware came his way as Yulo continued his improvement under Kugimiya.
Yulo captured world titles in floor exercise (2019) and vault (2021) that serve as the centerpiece to his impressive collection, which includes six golds in the Asian Championships and nine golds in the Southeast Asian Games.
But the two eventually split up last year.
“I guess we did not understand each other when it came to my personal life,” said Yulo. “I feel like I outgrew our relationship so I chose my peace of mind.”
“For me to do gymnastics properly, I chose myself, my peace, and I decided to train here in the Philippines. I know it is harder to train here, but it is not impossible,” he added.
Yulo said he and Kugimiya parted ways amicably, with the mentor even assisting him in packing his stuff before he departed Japan.
“After helping me, he asked me, ‘What can you say about our journey?’ I just told him that I really thank him because I would have never reached this stage by myself,” said Yulo.
“He was part of the process and my winnings in life, all of it.” – Rappler.com
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