Elreen Ando throughout the Asian Weightlifting Championships. | Photograph from Ando’s Fb web page

CEBU CITY, Philippines— There’s a altering of guards within the Philippine ladies’s weightlifting scene.

It was after prime wager and lone Filipino Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo missed qualifying for the Paris Olympics, whereas Cebuana Elreen Ando earned her second Olympic stint within the ongoing Worldwide Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup in Phuket, Thailand on Wednesday night, April 3. 

Ando and Diaz-Naranjo have been competing in the identical occasion—the ladies’s 59-kilogram class in numerous worldwide tilts since final 12 months.

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It was after Diaz-Naranjo moved up from the ladies’s 55-kilogram class to the 59 kgs, whereas Ando moved down from -64 kgs to the 59 kgs. 

On Wednesday night, Filipinos noticed a brand new contender in weightlifting after Ando completed seventh general amongst 44 lifters within the final remaining Olympic qualifiers. 

Ando, the satisfaction of Barangay Carreta, Cebu Metropolis lifted a complete of 228 kgs, 20 kgs lighter than eventual gold medalist Luo Shifang of China who completed with a complete of 248 kgs carry. 

In the meantime, Diaz-Naranjo who mesmerized the world in 2022 for being the primary Filipino gold medalist within the Olympics solely lifted 222 kgs. 

Ando lifted 100 kgs within the snatch and 128 kgs within the clear and jerk. Diaz-Naranjo had 99 kgs in her snatch and 123 kgs in her clear and jerk. 

Then again, North Korea’s Gyong Kim II earned the silver medal with a 240 kg complete carry, whereas Olympic gold medalist Maude Charron settled for bronze along with her 236 kg complete carry. 

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Ando already confirmed her potential in qualifying for the Paris Olympics after incomes two silver medals within the Asian Weightlifting Championships, whereas final 12 months, she bagged a bronze medal within the Hangzhou Asian Video games.

Solely the highest 10 weightlifters within the ladies’s 59 kg class will compete in July’s Paris Olympics, ending Diaz-Naranjo’s 5 Olympic stints. 

Ando served because the second lifter born and raised in Cebu who certified for the Paris Olympics. 

John Febuar Ceniza of Barangay Pasil already clinched a spot on Tuesday after claiming fourth place within the males’s 61 kgs class. 

In complete, the Philippines now has eight certified athletes for the Olympics. The others embrace EJ Obiena (pole vault), Carlos Yulo (gymnastics), Aleah Finnegan (gymnastics), Eumir Marcial (boxing), Nesthy Petecio (boxing), and Aira Villegas (boxing).

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