WITH Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidylin Diaz focused on competing in her fifth straight Olympic Games in France next year, national weightlifting teammate Elreen Ando has been tapped for double duty in two successive international competitions in May.
Also a Tokyo Olympic veteran, Ando will see action in the women’s 59kg division of the 51st Asian Weightlifting Championships from May 3 to 13 in Jinju, South Korea and the 32nd Cambodia Southeast Asian Games on May 5 to 17 in Phnom Penh and the northwestern Cambodian city of Siem Reap.
“Since Hidy is focused on her Olympic qualifying campaign, we thought it best to field Elreen in the two events. Sayang naman ‘yung gold in Cambodia,” noted weightlifting chief Monico Puentevella.
National weightlifting head coach Antonio Agustin said Ando will have enough time to recover since her event in the Asian meet, an Olympic qualifier for the Paris Olympics where she will face off with Diaz, is set for May 7 while the Cambodia weightlifting events start on May 15.
The 24-year-old Cebuana, a silver medalist in the women’s 64kg class in the 31st Vietnam SEA Games, said she didn’t mind seeing action in two international competitions just over a week apart, recalling she did the same thing four years ago after vying in the 30th Philippine Games.
“Wala naman pong problema dahil nagawa ko naman po ito pagkatapos ng SEA Games in 2019. May panahon pa na mag-recover,” recalled the protégé of Cebuano national coach Ramon Solis, a former national standout and six-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist.
Based on her performance in the recent national team tryouts for the two international events held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Ando may finally land her first gold in the regional sportsfest after bringing home silver medals in the 64kg category of the last two editions of the meet.
Ando’s total lift of 220 kilos is far better than the gold-medal lift of 204 kilos of hometown pride Hoang Thi Dhuyen in the 59kg division of the Vietnam Games.
Also doing double duty in the 49 kg division of the Asian meet and Cambodia Games are Lovely Inan and Rosegie Ramos and Kristel Macrohon and Vanessa Sarno in the 71kg category. Both weight classes are featured in the Paris Olympics.
Puentevella said the only male weightlifter who will also see action in both overseas competitions is Cebu’s John Fabuar Ceniza, who will compete in the 61kg class.
