Thirteen-year-old Haifa Niegas stayed up past her bedtime on Sunday to watch Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo compete in the Olympics. And when the athlete bagged his second gold, her home in Abu Dhabi erupted in cheers, with her mum jumping while holding a huge Philippine flag in their living room.
“Seeing Carlos win two gold medals made me want to train harder, work harder,” Niegas told Khaleej Times.
Within just 24 hours, Yulo went from making history as the first Filipino gymnast to win in the Olympics to breaking his own record with another gold medal. His first gold was for the floor exercise final and the other was for the vault at the Paris Olympics.
Niegas, a Filipino-Iraqi Year 9 student, is also a gymnast who has been winning tournaments around the world. Just last month, she won a gold medal for the UAE in an international competition in Egypt.
The next time she takes the floor, though, the rhythmic gymnast will be bearing the Philippine flag. Niegas has just joined the Philippine national team early this year, opening up new opportunities for her to enter bigger competitions that could eventually lead her to the Olympics.
She hasn’t met Yulo yet but when she does, she said she would immediately ask him the big question: “How did you do it?”
Twirling since 3 years old
Watching from Dubai, another young Filipina gymnast was also cheering for Yulo.
Gabrielle Anne Opida Ramos, also 13, was holding her breath as she watched the Olympian do his routine.
“My stress level was through the roof because of how intense and close the scores of the other athletes were,” Ramos told Khaleej Times.
“When I saw Carlos Yulo score 15.116, I was so happy and proud to see an amazing team player representing the Philippines. As a rhythmic gymnast, I would feel as joyful as he did seeing his hard work paying off,” she said.
Ramos, an incoming Grade 9 student in Dubai, has loved gymnastics since she was 3 years old. She first learnt ballet and eventually moved to gymnastics. In 2022, she won a scholarship that allowed her to attend regular training sessions.
“Gymnastics motivates me to have a stronger, healthier immune system, flexible body and discipline. This sport also improved my confidence,” Ramos said.
Like Niegas, she has also won several competitions in the UAE and abroad. “Seeing myself win a spot in the top three serves as a reminder that in the end, trying my best always counts.”
The two teenage gymnasts train hard in the UAE every single day, even on school days.
Niegas travels from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and practises her skills for four hours every day on weekdays and five on Saturdays.
“After Carlos’ win, I am motivated to do more. Perhaps I will now do five hours a week, and squeeze in some more training on my day off, which is Sunday,” she said.
Ramos puts in three hours for every training session, three times a week. “It has improved my ability to perform and because of that, my coaches saw that I have the potential to start competing. When I entered competitions, the judges saw my abilities, too,” she said.
Hope for young Filipino athletes
Besides sparking hope, Yulo’s win paves the road for young Filipino gymnasts, said Niegas, who is currently preparing for the 2025 World Junior Championship.
“The happiness I felt after his victory also comes from the thought that this moment could make gymnastics more popular in the Philippines and perhaps encourage the country to develop the sport,” she said.
“Perhaps it would push the government to hire more coaches, scout for young talents, and hone the skills of these young gymnasts,” her mum Gina added. “We need a stronger Philippine team.”
Niegas and Ramos are both looking forward to tumbling and pirouetting their way to the Olympics one day.
“During my free time, I would open my social media and scroll through any performance of any gymnast in the Olympics or any other competitions. It prompts me to do better with every performance I do in my competitions,” Ramos said.
“There’s a long way to go — I would still need to join more international championships, and conquer the Asian games, among others. It’s a long way ahead but I’m now more motivated than ever,” Niegas said. (With inputs from Jojo Dass)