Sarno posts personal best, but misses podium with Macrohon in Doha tilt
At A Glance
- Vanessa Sarno mustered all her might but still came up short in her medal bid along with Kristel Macrohon in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Grand Prix II in Doha, Qatar over the weekend.
Vanessa Sarno mustered all her might but still came up short in her medal bid along with Kristel Macrohon in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Grand Prix II in Doha, Qatar over the weekend.
Sarno, a 2020 Asian Champion and two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, missed the podium after finishing fifth with a total lift of 249 kilograms in the women’s 71kg event.

It was actually her best performance to date, where she registered 10 kilos heavier than her silver-medal performance at the 2023 Asian Championships in Jinju, South Korea.
But the competition was so intense as Song Kuk Hyang of North Korea lifted an astonishing 269 kilos for the gold medal, followed by China’s Liao Guifang (264) and United States’ Olivia Lynn Reeves (262).
Katherine Vibert of the United States was fourth, just five kilos heavier than Sarno’s performance.
Sarno, one of the lifters being eyed to qualify in the 2024 Paris Olympics, already trailed in snatch after finishing seventh with a 108-kilo lift -- 12 kilos lighter than Song.
The 20-year-old gave it all in clean & jerk, first lifting 135 kilos, then 138, before settling for a personal-best 141 kilos on her final attempt for fifth place, but her competitors were too much to handle.
Meanwhile, Macrohon also settled for ninth in total with a lift of 234 kilos. She posted 104 in snatch for 10th place and 130 in clean & jerk for 11th place.
Overall, Team Philippine collected four silver medals in the event courtesy of three from Rosegie Ramos and one from John Febuar Ceniza