Albert Ian Delos Santos delivered a memorable Asian Games debut, securing the bronze medal in the men’s 70kg weightlifting competition on Saturday at Fukiage Hall in Nagoya, Japan.
The 20-year-old Filipino posted a 324kg total after lifting 141kg in the snatch and 183kg in the clean and jerk to finish third in the field.
Delos Santos also made his mark on the record books, surpassing his previous junior world and Asian record in the clean and jerk. After successfully lifting 181kg on his third attempt, he raised the bar again with an 183kg effort in his final attempt.
The Zamboanga City native admitted that he put immense pressure on himself entering his first continental Games. After all, he would have to wait four more years for another opportunity should he fall short of the podium.
“I’m thankful, my God. Unexpected, but yun, palagi ko naman sinasabi, have fun. Like sila at Heidi, sinasabi, have fun, no pressure. But opposite ako. And I give myself sobrang pressure,” he told POC Media.
“Like, whenever mag-isa lang ako, sabi ko, ’wag mo sayangin, yung first time mo ’to. Kung hindi, hindi ka maka-medal, another four years.”
(C) POC
Delos Santos also felt that his late father, Alvin, was with him during the competition.
During the warm-up, he noticed that the lighting appeared noticeably brighter over his platform than elsewhere inside the venue, reminding him of a similar experience he had in Egypt.
“Coincidentally, yung lights, yung ganyan, it’s not that bright sa iba. But yung platform ko mismo was the bright. Sabi ko, I’m gonna be sentimental. That’s papa. Nangyari din ‘to sa akin sa Egypt. Parang warehouse siya. And so, yung sun, barely siya nagpasok sa loob. Pero may mga windows. Yung light beam, Sa platform ko lang, ina-observe ko. Sabi ko, okay, thank you pa. Okay, nandito ka,” he said.
North Korea’s Ri Won Ju claimed the gold medal with a 349kg total, highlighted by a 198kg clean and jerk that established new world, Asian Games, and Asian records.
Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto settled for silver with 342kg after entering the clean and jerk portion in front following the snatch.
After securing his first Asian Games medal, Delos Santos plans to celebrate by exploring Japan, eating out, and spending time with his mother and teammates.
