Filipino weightlifters have yet to land a podium finish in the two-week 2021 World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Sans 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, the national team has fielded six female lifters and four athletes in the world tilt.
After two days of competition, Mary Flor Diaz, Hidilyn's cousin, failed to finish (DNF) in the 45kg after being gassed out in her snatch lifts. Diaz then pulled off 77kg and 80kg lifts in the clean and jerk.
In the 49kg division, Elien Perez showed promise as she ended up in eighth place among 13 contestants.
Perez registered a 73kg lift in the snatch and tallied 93kg in the clean and jerk.
In men's play, Fernando Agad wrapped up his first World Championships campaign on a high note with an eight-place finish against 17-man field in the 55kg division last Tuesday, Dec. 7.
Agad, who set the paced for the Philippine team, lifted 108kg in the snatch and 131 in the clean and jerk.
Seven weightlifters are still in the waiting game as Tokyo Olympian Elreen Ando (69kg), reigning Asian Weightlifting champion Vanessa Sarno (71kg), 2019 Southeast Asian Games Kistel Macrohon (71kg), Margaret Colonia (64kg), 2019 SEAG silver medalist John Febuar Ceniza (61kg), Dave Lloyd Pacaldo (67kg), John Dexter Tabique (96kg) have yet to compete.
Ceniza is battling for the country's first gold medal at press time.