Why Is Carlos Yulo Carrying a Bottle of Honey and 'Tupperware' at the Olympics?
At this point, most of us have probably seen Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo's gold medal-worthy routines during the final rounds of the Men's Floor Exercise and Men's Vault events at the Paris Olympics 2024. His three-and-a-half twist dismount on the floor and piked Dragulescu on the vault are nothing short of spectacular. Yulo is now the Philippines' first-ever double Olympic champion.
But after all the rewatching on your phone or computer screens, you might have noticed a plastic container with white powder that Yulo's carrying around from the sidelines and to the gymnastics floor during his run. Given Filipinos' penchant for using brand names as a common name, the people of the Internet have been calling the box container "Tupperware" (whether or not it's really the Tupperware brand). There's also a bottle of honey beside the "Tupperware."
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Filipino Gymnast Carlos Yulo's 'Tupperware' and Bottle of Honey
In the world of gymnastics, where precision and control are important, athletes often rely on various tools to enhance their performance. Among the tools are: chalk powder and honey.
Yulo, in a video interview with One Sports, said that he got used to bringing his own chalk powder in a plastic container during his training in Japan. This is despite having a huge bowl of chalk on the gymnastics floor available for everyone's use.
"Ayon po kasi 'yung nakasanayan namin sa Japan, sa training po. Every time pupunta po kami sa ibang competition, may dala po talaga kaming 'Tupperware'," he said. Other teams would even bring larger containers; but since Yulo (for now) is the sole representative of the Philippines in gymnastics, he needed just a small one. "'Yung handy lang, tsaka madali dalhin."
Carlos Yulo's trusty 'Tupperware' at the All-Around Finals
The chalk powder is combined with another secret weapon: honey. A closer look (a.k.a. zooming in) at Yulo's stuff shows that he used a French brand, Lune de Miel, for his stint at the Paris Olympics. His team might have bought it right in Paris for convenience. Besides, we wouldn't want spilled honey in our world-class athlete's luggage.
While it might seem unusual to the uninitiated, honey plays a crucial role in helping male gymnasts maintain their grip on the parallel bars or stick their hands on the vault. Male gymnasts squeeze honey onto their palms, rub their hands together, and then apply chalk.
During the Vault finals, you might have noticed Yulo pouring honey onto his palm and then rubbing it on the vault. This combination creates a tacky surface that provides the necessary grip to perform complex maneuvers without slipping.
Carlos Yulo puts a mixture of honey and chalk on the vault during the finals.
The use of honey is not a recent innovation. Gymnasts have long sought ways to enhance their grip, and honey has proven to be an effective solution. It offers a natural stickiness that, when combined with chalk, significantly reduces the risk of slipping due to sweat. This is particularly important as gymnasts' hands can become quite sweaty during intense routines.
Interestingly, the mix of honey and chalk is commonly used only by male gymnasts. Female gymnasts, who need smoother transitions, usually use a combination of water and chalk.
Some athletes have experimented with other substances, including syrup, soda, melted gummy bears, and even beer. These things are allowed in gymnastics because they ensure the safety of the athletes, especially since their routine involves jumping mid-air, and not breaking their neck is very much preferred.
Don't worry about the bars and vaults getting too sticky, though. The apparatus is either cleaned or switched up after every athlete.
Of course, gym-goers and wall climbers are more familiar with using liquid chalk. Guess honey just adds that extra oomph; Yulo did win two gold medals, after all.
