Carlos Yulo returns to Japan training roots ahead of 2025 World Championships in Jakarta

Philippine gymnastics icon Carlos Yulo is set to return to Japan, the country that shaped him into arguably the nation’s greatest athlete, following his historic medal-winning run at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) secretary general Rowena Bautista confirmed in a media interaction that Yulo will train for two weeks at the Tokushukai Gymnastics Club in Kanagawa as part of his preparations for the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, scheduled from October 19 to 25.

“They will train in Japan for two weeks before flying straight to Jakarta. He will be joined by Miguel Besana, John Ivan Cruz, and Justine de Leon. Coaches Aldrin Castaneda and Nadal Al Yousef will also accompany them,” Bautista said.

Carlos Yulo will be returning to the country where he evolved into one of the greatest Filipino Olympians.

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— Daily Tribune (@tribunephl) August 25, 2025

Notably, Yulo also underwent a similar training camp in Tokyo before making history at the Paris Games, where he became the only Filipino athlete to win multiple gold medals after capturing two titles.

Yulo owes much of his gymnastics career to Japan, where he moved in 2016 to train at the prestigious Ajinomoto National Training Center under renowned coach Munehiro Kugimiya. Under Kugimiya’s guidance, he became a two-time world champion (2019 and 2021) and established himself as one of the Philippines’ best athletes, winning 10 Asian Championships golds and nine Southeast Asian Games titles.

Although Yulo parted ways with Kugimiya in 2023 due to personal reasons, he continued to follow the Japanese coach’s training methods — a blueprint that helped him secure his two Olympic golds in Paris.

Meanwhile, Yulo’s younger brother Eldrew is currently training with Kugimiya in Nagoya. However, there will be no reunion as Nagoya is about a four-hour drive from Kanagawa.

The 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta will be a critical test for Yulo as he builds momentum ahead of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, further solidifying his legacy on the world stage.

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