Joe Yates
An athlete will return home from the Paris 2024 Olympics as a national treasure.
Olympian Carlos Yulo became the first Filipino man to win a gold medal in the country's 100 year history of competing in both the summer and winter games.
The gymnast shocked the world after he beat Israel's Artem Dolgopyat on the men's floor event by 0.034 - with a score of 15.000.
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The 24-year-old made history for the Philippines when he climbed on top of the podium - but he is not the first person to win gold for the nation.
It was actually during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which took place in Japan in 2021 due to coronavirus, that weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz was awarded a gold medal for her performance in the women's 55kg category.
Diaz became the first athlete, male or female, to win any sport at the Olympics for the Philippines.
However, Yulo has became the first athlete to win two gold medals for the country, after picking up gold a day later in the men's vault final.
It meant that in just two days he tripled his country's gold medal count, and as well as becoming a national treasure, he has also been awarded treasures from the nation.
Yulo is set to receive the equivalent of $606,000 in his home country's currency from Megaworld, a private real-estate company - he was previously going to receive just $52,000 before bagging his second gold.
President of the company Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso released the following statement: “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 receive a three-bed condo which is estimated to cost $414,000 - it was previously going to be two-bed before he topped the podium again a day later.
He was already due to receive around $173,000 for his gold due to an act written into the country's laws, and after securing a second medal it was confirmed he would receive an additional $104,000.
But it doesn't stop there.
He will receive a lifetime supply of ramen, unlimited entry at a local buffet chain and a voucher worth about $20,000 for a department store in the Philippines.
That's Yulo sorted for life.
Meanwhile, Team USA's Olympic gold medallists will receive a bonus of $37,500 from the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee - but in fairness, the US currently has two dozen gold medals in the Paris 2024 Olympics alone.