Carlos Yulo Eyes 2026 Worlds: D-Score of His Floor and Vault
Paris double champion Carlos Yulo heads to the 2026 Rotterdam Worlds. A former gymnast breaks down the D-scores of his floor and vault and his Jarman rivalry.
Note: This article reflects information as of August 3, 2026.
As the field takes shape for the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam (October 17-25), one name stands out: Carlos Yulo of the Philippines, the Paris 2024 double Olympic champio
n on floor and vault. This article analyzes the D-scores (difficulty values) of Yulo's floor and vault through the lens of the FIG Code of Points, from the perspective of a former gymnast and D-score app developer.
Who Is Carlos Yulo? A Path to Double Gold
Let us first review the journey of the man in the spotlight.
Profile and Signature Events
At 154cm, Yulo is small for a male gymnast, but that compact frame gives him exceptional rotation and spring on floor and vault. His Wikipedia profile highlights the difficulty of his routines and the precision of his form.
Double Gold at Paris 2024
At Paris 2024 he scored 15.000 on floor and 15.116 on vault, taking gold in both. They were the Philippines' first-ever Olympic gold medals, and a rare single-Games double. His results appear on the official Olympic athlete page.
If you want to explore floor and vault routines and difficulty values yourself, the Gymnastics AI D-Score app is handy. Built on the FIG 2025-2028 Code with a database of 790+ skills, it lets you rebuild elite routines and simulate their D-scores.
World Championship Record
Yulo has reached the podium's top step multiple times: floor gold in Stuttgart 2019, vault gold in Kita
kyushu 2021, and vault gold again in Jakarta 2025. In Jakarta he took bronze on floor (14.533), with the title going to Jake Jarman of Great Britain, as Rappler reported.
The 2026 Rotterdam Worlds and the Confirmed Field
Here is the stage Yulo is targeting, and how far the field has firmed up.
Event Overview
The 2026 Worlds run October 17-25 at Rotterdam Ahoy in the Netherlands, the city's third time hosting after 1987 and 2010, as confirmed by FIG's official news.
Countries and Athletes Confirmed
According to a roundup by Gymnastics Now, confirmed men's teams include Japan, China, South Korea, Kazakhstan and Chinese Taipei from Asia, Canada, the USA, Brazil and Colombia from the A
mericas, plus Australia and Egypt. Many European berths will be decided at the European Championships (August 19-23).
All-around entries include Yulo and Japan's Daiki Hashimoto. For Japan's roster, see our article on the 2026 Worlds men's Japan team.
Yulo's Position
Competing as an individual rather than on a team, Yulo will focus on the floor and vault apparatus finals. As the reigning Olympic and 2025 world vault champion, he is a leading title contender in Rotterdam.
Floor D-Score Analysis: The Difficulty Behind a Title Bid
Now to the core of this blog: a D-score breakdown, starting with floor.
How the D-Score Works
A men's D-score combines difficulty values, Composition Requirements (CR) and Connection Value (CV). On floor, chaining high-difficulty tumbling cleanly is what drives the number up. See our pieces on floor artistry and the D-difficulty skills map.
Features of Yulo's Floor Routine
Yulo's floor is defined by height and sharp twisting. At the 2025 Asian Championships his floor reportedly scored D 5.7, E 8.8 and 0.1 CV for 14.600. A 5.7 D requires stacking several E- and F-level tumbling passes.
To test how a routine's D-score changes, try Gymnastics AI: pick and arrange skills, and it auto-calculates difficulty, group bonus and connection value. Each skill's value can also be checked in the skills database.
The Jarman Rivalry
His biggest floor rival is 2025 world floor champion Jake Jarman, a floor-and-vault double threat whose specialties overlap exactly with Yulo's. The Rotterdam floor final should be a clash of their difficulty and execution.
Gymnast | Key floor results | Reported D-score guide |
|---|---|---|
Carlos Yulo (PHI) | 2019 world champ / 2024 Olympic champ / 2025 world bronze | around D 5.7 |
Jake Jarman (GBR) | 2025 world floor champ | high-difficulty set |
Note: D-scores vary by meet and season; figures are reported-time estimates.
Vault D-Score Analysis: Winning on the Two-Vault Average
Next, the vault that made Yulo a 2025 world champion.
The Two-Vault Rule
In the vault final, gymnasts perform two vaults from different groups, and the average decides placement. One big vault is not enough; both need high D-scores and stuck landings. See our landing technique article.
The High-Difficulty Vault He Showed
In the Jakarta 2025 final, as Olympics.com reported, his first vault—a handspring forward double front pike with a half turn out (Dragulescu family)—was stuck for 15.200 (E 9.500 plus a 0.100 landing bonus), a difficulty value of about 5.6. His two-vault average of 14.866 earned gold, as also covered by Philstar.
Classifying High-Difficulty Vaults
High-difficulty vaults are grouped by family—forward, backward (Tsukahara/Yurchenko) and side-on (Li Xiaopeng type). Top vaulters must cover two different groups. See our vault difficulty article.
- Forward: handspring-entry vaults (Dragulescu, Roche)
- Backward: Tsukahara / Yurchenko families
- Side-on: Li Xiaopeng type and others
The Asian Landscape and Japan
Yulo's presence matters for the Asian picture and for Japan.
Momentum From the 2026 Asian Championships
Yulo topped floor qualifying (14.433) and won floor gold at the June 2026 Asian Championships in Zunyi, China—a strong sign heading into Rotterdam.
Comparing With Japan's Core
Japan, led by Daiki Hashimoto and Shinnosuke Oka, targets team gold, but the floor and vault apparatus finals are deep. Whether Japan can contend for medals in these two events is another Rotterdam storyline.
The Battle on Floor and Vault
Floor and vault have high D-score ceilings and can flip on a single landing. Among Yulo, Jarman and other specialists, tiny execution margins separate gold from silver.
Outlook for Rotterdam: Can He Repeat?
Finally, the outlook for Yulo at the 2026 Worlds.
Difficulty and Landings Are Key
To repeat on vault and reclaim floor, Yulo must (1) keep high D-scores on both events and (2) minimize landing deductions. Floor especially slipped to bronze in 2025, so he needs gains in both difficulty and artistry.
What to Watch
Watch the height of his tumbling and how he sticks landings, plus his choice of second vault—these reveal his D-score strategy. Results from the European Championships (August) and World Cup series will also shape the Rotterdam picture.
Summary
- Paris double champion Carlos Yulo is set for the 2026 Rotterdam Worlds (Oct 17-25).
- His floor sits around a reported D 5.7; his vault backs a 2025 world title (first vault 15.200, D about 5.6).
- Floor centers on his rivalry with 2025 world champ Jake Jarman; vault is decided on the two-vault average, so stuck landings are crucial.
- Floor gold at the 2026 Asian Championships (Zunyi) shows strong form; repeat hinges on keeping D-scores high and landings clean.
- He is a key figure in the Asian scene, with a bearing on Japan's apparatus-medal hopes.
To simulate elite floor and vault routines and their D-scores yourself, try Gymnastics AI—built on the FIG 2025-2028 Code, free on iOS/Android.
