John Ceniza broke all three of his own national records and finished fifth in the men’s under-61 kg event of the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships on Saturday at the Jinju Arena in South Korea.
The 2020 Roma Cup bronze medalist lifted a new personal best of 128 kg in the snatch. Then he followed up with another new best-ever clean and jerk score of 165, making him head and shoulders above everyone else in Group B.
Ceniza’s total of 293 was 13 kg clear of his previous best of 280 set in last year’s Worlds in Bogota, Colombia, and just six points behind eventual bronze medalist Teerapong Silachai of Thailand.
Olympic champion Li Fabin of China captured his fourth Asian title with 314 kg off 143 in the snatch and 171 in the clean and jerk. His compatriot Chen Lijun won three silvers with 310 in total (142 in snatch and 168 in C&J).
Indonesian Ricko Saputra won the snatch bronze with 133, but Silachai’s 167 in C&J saw him take the overall bronze.
The women’s under-59 kg Group A, featuring Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando, will take the platform on Sunday at 5:00 PM (Philippine time).
