OLYMPIC hopeful Elreen Ann Ando achieved her best finish in the Asian weightlifting championships last Monday, securing a pair of silvers and a bronze medal in the women’s 59kg division of the 52nd edition of the meet in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Ando, who bombed out in last year’s Asian meet in Jinju, South Korea, took runner-up honors in the clean-and-jerk and total lift, hoisting 20 kilos and 213 kilos, respectively plus a bronze in the snatch where she lifted 93 kilos.
North Korea’s Kim Il-Gyong swept all three golds in the division, lifting 103, 122 and 225 kilos, respectively, while Indonesia’s Natasya Beteyob had a silver in the snatch (96) and a bronze each in the clean-and-jerk (116) and total lift (212).
In the absence of Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Hidylin Diaz, who decided to skip the competition, the 25-year-old pride of Cebu seemed more relaxed, according to weightlifting chief Monico Puentevella.
The Asian meet serves as the penultimate qualifying meet for the continent for the Paris Summer Games and whether Ando’s strong outing will bode well for her chances of competing in the French capital will all depend on her ranking once the latest IWF rankings are issued after the competition, Puentevella said.
With 10 slots at stake in each weight division, Diaz-Naranjo and Ando are currently ranked No. 9 and No. 11, respectively, in the IWF ratings, with the latest expected to come out after the Asian competition.
