HIDILYN LEADS PH TEAM AT ASIAN WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS

May 2, 2023

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Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz will lead the Philippine campaign at the Asian Weightlifting Championships scheduled May 3-13 in Jinju, South Korea.

The Zamboangueña will compete in the women’s 59kg category along with fellow Olympian Elreen Ann Ando of Cebu.

Others in the lineup are Rose Jean Ramos (women’s 45kg), Rosegie Ramos (women’s 49kg) and Kristel Macrohon (women’s 71kg) of Zamboanga City, Vanessa Sarno of Bohol (women’s 71kg), Lovely Inan of Angono, Rizal (women’s 49kg) and John Febuar Ceniza of Cebu City (men’s 61kg).

Also joining the trip are coaches Nicolas Jaluag (Bohol), Patrick Lee (Pampanga) and Christopher Bureros (Cebu), and Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella as head of delegation.

The Asian Weightlifting Championships is the second qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics after the World Championships in Bogota, Colombia last year.

The 32-year-old Diaz joined and won the 55kg gold medal in Colombia but the category is not included in Paris. The 2022 SEA Games and 2018 Asian Games champion decided to move up to 59kg where Ando is also trying the get an Olympic berth. Ando saw action in Tokyo, finishing seventh overall in the 64kg category. She got three medals at the 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan — a bronze in snatch and two silvers from the clean and jerk and total lift. She also won the silver medal in Vietnam.