An athlete is set to return home from the Paris 2024 Olympics as a much-celebrated figure.
Olympian Carlos Yulo made history as the first Filipino man to win a gold medal in the country’s 100-year participation in both the summer and winter games.
The gymnast stunned the world by defeating Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat in the men’s floor event with a score of 15.000, edging out by just 0.034 points.
The 24-year-old achieved a milestone for the Philippines when he stood atop the podium, although he is not the first to win gold for the nation.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz claimed a gold medal in the women’s 55kg category.
Diaz was the first athlete, male or female, to secure a gold medal for the Philippines in any sport at the Olympics.
However, Yulo has now become the first Filipino athlete to win two gold medals, securing his second in the men’s vault final a day after his first victory.
In just two days, Yulo tripled his country’s gold medal count. Along with becoming a national icon, he is also receiving substantial rewards from his nation.
Yulo is set to receive approximately $606,000 from Megaworld, a private real-estate company, a significant increase from the $52,000 he was initially promised before winning his second gold.
Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, President of the company, stated: “Since this is a very significant milestone in the history of Philippine sports to have two gold Olympic medals during our 100th year participation as a country in the Olympics, which also coincides with our company’s 35th anniversary this year, we are boosting our reward for Carlos Yulo now totalling to P35-million.”
The 4-foot-11-inch gymnast will also be awarded a three-bedroom condo valued at $414,000, an upgrade from the two-bedroom unit he was previously set to receive.
He was already set to get around $173,000 for his first gold medal due to a national law, and his second medal confirmed an additional $104,000 in rewards.
But the rewards don’t end there.
Yulo will also enjoy a lifetime supply of ramen, unlimited access to a local buffet chain, and a $20,000 voucher for a department store in the Philippines.
Yulo’s future looks well-secured.
Meanwhile, Team USA’s Olympic gold medallists receive a bonus of $37,500 from the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee. However, the US team currently boasts two dozen gold medals in the Paris 2024 Olympics alone.