Nickname
Caloy (philstar.com, 25 Mar 2018)
Occupation
Athlete
Education
Language Studies - Japanese - Teikyo University: Japan
Spoken languages
English, Japanese, Filipino
Coach
Munehiro Kugimiya [national, personal], JPN
Injuries
A strained ligament in his left ankle meant he missed the 2023 World Cup event in Cairo, Egypt. He recovered in time to compete at the 2023 South East Asian Games in Cambodia, where he won four medals, including gold in the individual all-around. (thegymter.net, 10 May 2023; news.abs-cbn.com, 03 May 2023)
He injured his finger at the 2022 All Japan Seniors Championship. (sports.inquirer.net, 26 Sep 2022; mb.com.ph, 23 Sep 2022)
A left elbow injury prevented him from competing in the all-around competition at the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. Despite the injury he won a gold medal on vault and a silver on parallel bars at the tournament. (olympics.com, 05 Nov 2021; intlgymnast.com, 25 Oct 2021)
A chest injury meant he was unable to compete at the 2019 World Cup event in Baku, Azerbaijan. (gymnastics.sport, 19 Mar 2019)
Despite suffering a sprained ankle in training, he won the gold medal on parallel bars at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. (manilatimes.net, 24 May 2017)
Start sporting career
He took up gymnastics at age seven in Manila, Philippines.
Reason for taking up the sport
He was active as a child so his grandfather took him to a gymnastics tryout.
Milestones
He became the first artistic gymnast representing the Philippines to win a medal at the world championships by claiming bronze in the floor exercise at the 2018 edition of the tournament in Doha, Qatar. He then became the first artistic gymnast representing the Philippines to win gold at the world championships when he was victorious in the floor exercise at the 2019 edition in Stuttgart, Germany. (SportsDeskOnline, 28 Apr 2020; fig-gymnastics.com, 02 Nov 2018)
Ambitions
To win gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (mb.com.ph, 31 Jan 2023)
Trainings
He trains for up to six hours a day over two sessions.
Hero / Idol
Japanese artistic gymnast Kohei Uchimura. (olympics.com, 06 Jul 2021)
Philosophy / Motto
"Be patient, listen to your parents and your coach, and of course be disciplined." (tonite.abante.com.ph, 09 Nov 2018)
Awards
In 2022 he received the Most Valuable Player Award as Best Gymnast of the Year from the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines. (bworldonline.com, 25 Dec 2022)
Additional information
MOVE TO JAPAN
In 2017 he relocated to Tokyo, Japan, to train with coach Munehiro Kugimiya as part of a scheme supported by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines and the Japan Gymnastics Association. The venture was also backed by the International Gymnastics Federation [FIG] and the International Olympic Committee [IOC] 'Olympic Solidarity' programme. "My mother told me it was better to go to Japan and train with coach Munehiro, so I went. I was a shy kid then and there was the problem of communication. It was a bit hard since I was alone. Now [speaking in 2019] I feel more at home here. The people are kind." (rappler.com, 09 Oct 2019; gymnastics.sport, 19 Mar 2019)
Last update : 2024-07-22