Crunch time: Yulo eyes gold Paalam seeks medal; Obiena unleashed

PARIS — Team Philippines launches a major assault in a bid to crack the 2024 Olympics medal board on Saturday, unleashing three lead guns who could spark the start of the finest hours for the Nationals in the Paris Games.

With gaps of little time in between, pole-vaulter EJ Obiena seeks qualification into the medal play at Stade de Paris, boxer Carlo Paalam eyes at least a sure bronze at the Paris North Arena while gymnast Carlos Yulo goes all out in chase of ultimate glory at the Bercy Arena.

If they live up to their billings, the Nationals are to hit the medal tally and sustain a medal streak for the Philippines in the Summer Games following a silver feat by Hidilyn Diaz in Rio in 2016 followed by the 1-2-1 gold-silver bronze breakthrough in Tokyo in 2021.

For one, Yulo is a world champion floor exercise artist, and he’s fancied for a podium finish in this event – the same in his other final event in vault Sunday.

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion is optimistic Yulo can win at least one gold “and maybe two if he does well in the vault.”

There’s also a big hope of a medal production in boxing before the end of the day, with Paalam taking on Australian Charlie Senior in a 57kg quarterfinal clash.

Paalam wins that match, and he’ll be there in the Philippine sports lore as the first boxer to win two medals in the Olympics.

“Carlo is one win away from history. No Filipino boxer has won two medals in the Games. And if ever, he’ll be doing it in two different weight classes. We’re all hoping he can get it done,” said Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines secretary general Marcus Manalo.

In Tokyo, Paalam became a silver medalist in the 51kg category, joining a short list of Filipino Olympic boxing medal winners, including Jose Villanueva (bronze in Los Angeles in 1932), Anthony Villanueva (silver in Tokyo in 1964), Leopoldo Serantes (bronze in 1988 in Seoul), Roel Velasco (bronze in 1992 in Barcelona), Onyok Velasco (silver in Atlanta in 1996) and Eumir Marcial (bronze in 2021 in Tokyo). Nesthy Petecio is the first female boxer from the Philippines to win an Olympic medal, a silver in Tokyo.

Manalo is optimistic of