Olympic champion Carlos Yulo reveals ‘ignoring’ as his way to deal with negative scrutiny

In a cover story for Preview magazine, the 24-year-old gymnast, renowned as one of the most successful Filipino gymnasts in history, shared insights on how he handles public scrutiny and maintains his peace despite his fame.

“For me, I know myself and my journey. I know I’m not doing anything wrong,” he explained. “It’s not that I don’t care, but if what they’re saying doesn’t align with who I am, I just ignore it.”

Carlos’ personal life has garnered significant attention following his historic achievement as the first Filipino to win multiple gold medals at a single Olympic event. Much of the focus has centered on his strained relationship with his family, particularly his mother Angelica Poquiz Yulo.

The tension began when Carlos accused his mother in a TikTok video posted on Aug. 6 of mismanaging his finances, misleading him about gymnastics incentives, and falsely accusing his girlfriend, content creator Chloe San Jose, of financial exploitation. In response, Angelica held a press conference the next day, expressing remorse and attributing her actions to concerns about her children’s financial stability.

“The money was given to me,” she declared at the press conference, as reported by The New York Post. “As a mother, I was worried that my child might face financial difficulties in the future. So I invested it under my name.”

Despite former Filipino politician and businessman Chavit Singson’s promise of a 5 million Philippine peso (US$85,052) gift for Carlos and his family if he reconciles with his mother, the family dispute remains unresolved.

The conflict has elicited mixed public reactions towards Carlos. Despite the challenges from his family feud and public criticism, Carlos remains optimistic about his athletic career and future.

“I’m not afraid to lose in future competitions. Just because I couldn’t do it today, doesn’t mean I can’t do it tomorrow, and vice versa,” he declared. “But I also want to take care of my title and maintain the quality of my performance. It’s going to be a tough journey this time.”