Filipino weightlifter Vanessa Sarno won two gold medals and a silver in the 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships Thursday in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Filipino weightlifter Vanessa Sarno, center, leads the way in the 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships Thursday in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Sarno, a 16-year-old native of Bohol, bagged the gold medal in the 71-kilogram in the women’s category after lifting 209 kg and then added another gold in the 91 kg in the snatch event.
Ju Hyang U of the host nation took silver with 204 kg, while Uzbekistan’s Nigora Suvonova settled with the bronze after lifting 192 kg. Ju and Suvonova also finished with the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the snatch event of the 91-kg division.
Sarno failed to achieve a three-gold haul after she placed second to settle with a silver medal in clean and jerk after lifting 118 kg in the 91-kg category. Ju pocketed the gold with 119 kg while Suvonova had 108 kg for the bronze.
Two other Filipinos bets won medals as Chariz Macawli bagged a silver and a bronze while Rosegie Ramos had a bronze.
Macawli earned a silver medal in the 40-kg by lifting 116 kg total and 66 kg in the clean and jerk, and the bronze medal with her 50 kg total in snatch), while Ramos took the bronze in the 49-kg class with a 76 kg lift in snatch.
Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz said she is pleased that more and more weightlifters are given opportunities to compete abroad and most of these young athletes are bringing honor to the country.
“Of course masaya kasi napapansin na ngayon yung sports ng weightlifting. Nakakatuwa na maraming mga young athletes ang umaangat na yung laro, ang hopefully mas marami pa ang dumating,” said Diaz.