Elreen Ando showcased her Olympic pedigree with her second SEA Games gold, capturing the women’s -63 kg weightlifting title on Monday at the Chonburi Sports School.
The 27-year-old Cebuana built on her bronze medal performance at the World Championships in the same weight class.
She added this victory to her first-ever Games title, which she earned in the lighter -59 kg division — the same category she competed in during the Paris Olympics last year.
Ando, a University of Cebu alumna, finished with a total of 229 kg, a commanding 10 kg ahead of Vietnam’s Thi Thuy Tien Nguyen, who totaled 219 kg.
Thailand’s Thanaporn Seatia claimed bronze with 218 kg.
“Siyempre, nagpapasalamat ako kay God, binigay Niya talaga ‘yung pinag-pray ko na sana another gold na naman tayo at makuha natin ‘yung gold ngayon,” said the seasoned veteran.
(C) POC Media
Ando seized the lead with a best snatch of 102 kg after a flawless three-on-three lift, four kilograms ahead of Seatia’s 98 kg.
The three-time Asian Championships silver medalist had initially planned to start her clean and jerk at 125 kg, but opted to open at 123 kg instead. Although she failed her first attempt, Ando regained her form and balance to complete the lift on her second try, comfortably taking the lead.
As other competitors struggled with the same weight, Ando’s successful lift at 127 kg in her final attempt became the icing on the cake of her gold-medal performance.
“Yung sa first attempt po nadala lang po siguro sa — kasi first attempt mo, mahirap talaga na-lift ‘yung first attempt na andun lahat ‘yung kaba, ‘yung ang dami mong iniisip na paano mo siya i-lift,” said the now two-time SEA Games champion in two different weight categories.
“Pero ‘yung second attempt po, do’n na ‘ko bumuhos. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na kaya ko ‘to, binubuhat ko lang ‘to sa training.”
Ando’s victory raised the Philippines’ medal tally to two after young Albert Ian Delos Santos secured silver in the men’s -71 kg division on Sunday.
The 19-year-old from Zamboanga, praised by Olympian Hidilyn Diaz as the future of Philippine weightlifting, set a new world juniors’ best of 186 kg in the clean and jerk—one kilogram higher than his own record set at the same World Championships in Forde, Norway.
Delos Santos finished with a total of 324 kg, behind Thailand’s Weeraphon Wichuma, who set a world record total of 347 kg, highlighted by a new world standard in the clean and jerk of 195 kg.
