THIS column explores the science (psychology, neuroscience and sociology) of the gossip that snatched from the Filipino people a golden opportunity to not only celebrate but also learn and take inspiration from and appreciate a rare moment of our sports history.

It was a historic moment of national pride, a golden victory of the Filipino quest for supremacy in the Olympics. Within two days, two Olympic gold medals came, courtesy of the 24-year-old, 4-foot-11-inch gymnast Carlos Yulo. He has great stories to tell inspiring the Filipino spirit, including how he started in Palarong Pambansa as a young boy who was trained in Japan, then teamed up with a Cebuano coach to win various medals, including the Olympic gold. The nation was elated and revived the spirit of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when Hidilyn Diaz got that elusive gold for weightlifting, and the national nostalgia of Manny Pacquiao bringing home boxing belts and beauty queens waving home their crowns.