Ramos trains sights on L.A. Olympics 2028

It’s not yet the end of the world for weightlifter Rosegie Ramos.

The Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) is eyeing a potential stint in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics for Rosegie Ramos after falling short of qualifying for the Summer Games in the latest International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) rankings.

SWP president Monico Puentevella told DAILY TRIBUNE the 20-year-old lifter from Zamboanga City will have to get a lot more exposure in preparation for L.A. 2028.

Ramos missed the cut in the women’s 49-kilogram category by a hairline as her best lift is listed at 191 kgs at the IWF Grand Prix last December in Doha.

She shared the same result as Beatriz Piron of the Dominican Republic but missed out on a potential debut in the Summer Games as Piron made the same lift in Cuba in June 2023. 

“More exposure is needed for her. More!” Puentevella said.

“She’ll join the 2028 LA Olympics, SEA (Southeast Asian) Games and Asian Games too!”

Ramos has a lot of opportunities to improve her game in the buildup for 2028.

The two-time Asian Junior Championships gold medalist will compete in the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand and 2027 Johor Bahru Games in Malaysia.

There is also the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan as well as numerous IWF and Asian Weightlifting Federation tournaments.

For now, Asian champion Vanessa Sarno, SEA Games champion Elreen Ando and Olympic debutant John Febuar Ceniza continue the fight for the Philippines in the French capital.

The Philippines aims to get another medal in weightlifting for the third consecutive Olympics after Hidilyn Diaz clinched the silver medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the gold medal in Tokyo 2021.