Do you also agree that athletes’ personal lives can impact their professional lives, sometimes overshadowing any big milestone with personal matters? Carlos Yulo, a celebrated gymnast, faced both the backlash and support soon after his biggest victory at the Paris Olympics. Why? Family dispute. And his Olympics win didn’t become a point of attraction for him and marks a stark reminder of how the spotlight can easily shift from athletic triumphs to personal matters.

Now, things are turning back again. Conversations on social media lead people to report their opinions and decide if they can interfere with his career. As the controversy re-emerges, it brings up the serious question: Can such personal matters diminish the legacy of an athlete?

Carlos Yulo’s Olympic performance was overshadowed

Carlos Yulo’s Paris Olympics journey was nothing but winning his first gold at the Olympics. He won two gold medals at the 2024 Olympics in floor exercise and vault. He must be on cloud nine with his achievements, but his happiness soon became lustreless. Yulo’s professional milestone was overshadowed by his personal dispute. For those oblivious to the controversy, Yulo blamed his mother for withdrawing money from his bank account without his consent.

The Olympic Games posted a memorable video of Carlos Yulo on their official X handle. Caption: “Top videos from Paris 2024 | 4️⃣ | 🥇🤸🇵🇭 Carlos Yulo’s winning performance in the men’s floor final. What an Olympic Games it was for Carlos Yulo, who won two golds to become the first Filipino man on the top step of the Olympic podium. 🙌 #BestOf2024” This sounds interesting and celebrating his wins, right? But that’s not the case; gymnastics fans are debating about the past controversy and not talking about his achievements. What exactly happened?

Yulo alleged to his mother, Angelica Yulo, that she mishandled his finances, withdrew money without his consent, and also took money for professional meetings without informing him. In a TikTok video, he said, “When I finally got control of that bank account, I found out she had been draining it. I have the bank statements showing the withdrawals she made.”

Angelica Yulo cleared her side and said in a press conference that she held to apologize, “I ask for your forgiveness as a concerned mother. You are mature enough to make your own decisions. Our door is always open, regardless of your financial status.” Now fans are remembering the same dispute and debating about the same, as some are defending Carlos and others are against him.

‘It was tragic’: Fans recalled the old dispute

Carlos Yulo’s past is not leaving him, as it has emerged yet again. On a post of ‘The Olympic Games,’ fans are not talking about his great moves shown in the video, but remembering his personal dispute. One gymnastics fan blamed him for all the chaos: “His 2 golds are overshadowed by his attitude towards his parents, which is not a good example to the youth.” To which another fandom responded, “Mean, it is a domestic issue that bystanders like you, who rely on hearsay, are not authorized to character-assassinate anyone involved!” It seems not everyone has the same mentality, and Yulo has earned some loyal fans.

One fan took Carlos’ side and wrote, “It’s his mom’s fault for spending his winnings without his consent. He has reasons for having that ‘attitude.’ And why should his personal life overshadow his achievements as a national athlete? Why should WE make a big deal out of it? Is he living on taxpayers’ money?” During the controversy with his mother, no one talked about his milestone, but the dispute was rolling all over, and that’s the worst feeling for any athlete. Another comment reads, “It was tragic-comedy when his mother took his prize money and he had to sue to get it back.” Generally, it is a small thing that a mother is taking money from her child, but it became a public issue, and that triggered netizens.

Angelica Yulo was criticized for not publicly celebrating her son’s achievements. Instead, she posted comments supporting Japanese athletes, which many interpreted as a slight against her son. One user wrote, “And worse, his countrymen (well, some of them) are making HIM the villain for standing up for himself.” One comment reads, “And yet after this, his countrymen turned their backs on him for standing his ground against his greedy and manipulative mother.” After the Olympics, this all happened, and the video was all about his Paris Olympics performance. Carlos was so heartbroken that he credits her success to his second mother.

This issue even put Carlos under mental pressure, and he had to take therapy sessions. What are your thoughts about overshadowing the professional milestone with personal disputes? Is it right? Do tell us in the comments.