Paris Olympics

TACLOBAN CITY: Filipina boxer and Olympic bronze medalist Aira Villegas returned to a hero's welcome after bagging the bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

MILLION DOLLAR BABY Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez hands over the first check to Aira Villegas worth P1 million from the city council. The other check worth P1 million came from the City Mayor's office. Photo by Moises Cruz

"I am very grateful and overwhelmed by the support that my fellow Taclabanons have given me," Villegas told the reporters after the motorcade on Thursday.

"I started at the 2010 Tacloban Summer Sports Clinic and haven't stopped dreaming since," she said.

Villegas reached the semifinals in the women's 50-kg boxing but bowed to third seed Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey and settled for the bronze.

Villegas received P2 million from the Tacloban City Government.

(UPDATE) AFTER winning two gold medals at the Paris Olympics, gymnast Carlos Yulo cemented himself as the greatest Filipino Olympian ever.

The 24-year-old Yulo, who ruled the floor exercise and vault competitions in Paris, is far from finished, though, as he looks to achieve more at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

Bianca Pagdanganan AFP PHOTO

"We already won a gold medal," said Yulo in a short interview with the media after his arrival at the Villamor Air Base together with the other Filipino Olympians from Paris Tuesday evening.

"Of course, I will compete in the 2028 Olympics. I will prepare and practice really well for it. [But for now], I'm going to rest, I need it, too."

Yulo and company quickly departed from Villamor to Malacañang, where they met President Bongbong Marcos, getting feted and receiving incentives.

Then, Yulo and fellow Olympians went to the Newport World Resorts for a victory party, celebrating his double gold and the Philippines highest Olympic finish of a two-gold, two-bronze medal haul.

At press time on Wednesday, the Filipino Olympians were having their heroes parade.

The 7.70-kilometer parade was set to start from the Aliw Theater, left turn to Roxas Boulevard, right turn to P. Burgos and straight ahead to Finance Road, right turn to Taft Avenue, right turn to Quirino Avenue, left turn to Adriatico Sreet and left to turn to the final stop, which is the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The euphoria over Yulo's wins has provided a respite for a nation long ridden with poverty, deep divisions and conflicts.

"Filipinos all over the world stood united, cheering and rooting for you," Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said after Yulo, fondly called Caloy by friends, captured his second Olympic gold. "No words can express how proud we are of you, Caloy. You have achieved GOLD for the Philippines, not once, but twice!" WITH AP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Xander Schauffele will try to set aside Paris Olympics heartbreak as he plays alongside gold medalist Scottie Scheffler in the first two rounds of the PGA Tour playoffs.

World No. 2 Schauffele, the Tokyo Olympics champion, and top-ranked Scheffler, who surged on the final day to win in Paris, will be together Thursday and Friday at the PGA St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.

Schauffele, who won his first two major titles at this year's PGA Championship and British Open, shared the lead after the second and third rounds in pursuit of a gold medal repeat in Paris only to fire a 73 in the final round and finish seven strokes behind Scheffler.

"It was bad," Schauffele said. "I was probably more tired than I thought I was.

"I was pretty bummed out. I went from thinking I could have a good look at gold to maybe silver, then to bronze, and then to, wow, I'm just spectating now.

"That's sort of what happened the last seven, eight holes of that tournament. So that was a bit of a bummer, especially with how the fans were out there. It must have been such a cool feeling to be in the hunt with important shots coming down that stretch, 15 to 18."

Schauffele said he has already tried to analyze the reasons for his flop to try and avoid them over the PGA's three-week postseason run.

"Sort of identified what happened," he said. "I don't want to get back into my old habits that I've been trying to get out of in these last two or three months. I think some old ones sort of slipped in there. When I tried to put my foot down, it got worse, and I paid the price for it heavily."

Schauffele had mixed feelings seeing a tearful Scheffler on the medal podium until the Olympic spirit took hold of him.

"It's weird. I'm not going to lie. It's the weirdest feeling," said Schauffele.

"When Scottie was up there and our flag was raised, and he started crying up there, I was butt-hurt about my own round, and then I was sitting there like, yeah, this is pretty cool.

"I felt so emotional in that state... It's hard to explain the swing of it. Then out here this week playing with him these next two days, and we're all just trying to beat our heads in. It's a funny feeling."

Schauffele stands second to Scheffler in the season points race entering the PGA FedEx Cup playoff events. This week's 70-player field will be cut to 50 for next week's event in Colorado and again to 30 for the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

"A sharp mental state just for these last three weeks is going to be the biggest thing," Schauffele said. "Just being able to focus, and you expect your body to make the leaps with the heat and then the altitude and the heat again.

"But to me, it's part of our job. We're supposed to be preparing for that during the offseason and all year long."