THE PHILIPPINES’ Albert Ian delos Santos and Angeline Colonia added three more gold medals to the country’s massive haul with impressive performances in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Youth Championships in Duress, Albania yesterday.
Mr. Delos Santos delivered two mints in the men’s 61-kilogram division in total where he lifted 259 kgs and clean and jerk where he powered through with a 149 kg lift that more than made up for a lethargic, fifth-best 110 kg in the snatch.
For the 17-year-old Ms. Colonia, younger sister of Olympian Nestor Colonia, she copped the snatch gold in the women’s 45 kg class where she had a 72 kg but just couldn’t pull it off in the clean and jerk where she had a fourth-best 83 kg and settled for the silver in total with a 155 kg.
It proved to be a heartbreaker as she missed claiming another gold by just a kilogram that went to Turkmenistan’s Ogukshat Amanova, who had a 156 kg.
The recent harvest hiked the Filipinos’ golden collection to six after Prince Kel Delos Santos snared two and Eron Borres captured one in the -49kg category the day before.
Rosalinda Faustino will try to add more gold to the country’s haul as she is scheduled to see action next.
“These are the future of Philippine weightlifting,” said Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella, whose national team’s Albania trip is being backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation and SM. — Joey Villar