THE national weightlifting squad is pinning its hopes on Jea Mae Palagtiw (second from left) and Rhianne Cabalida (second from right) in the final stretch of the IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.
Photograph courtesy of CHRISTOPHER BUREROS/FB
University of Cebu standouts Jea Mae Palagtiw and Rhianne Cabalida will make one last push for the Philippines as they aim for more medals in the IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.
Palagtiw, 14, a gold medalist in the Private Schools Athletic Association in Bacolod City last May, will be vying for the mint in the women’s 77-kilogram category on Saturday at 8 a.m. (Manila time).
Meanwhile, the 15-year-old Cabalida is competing for a podium finish in the 69kg category as of press time as they aim to add in the Philippines’ 11-medal haul.
Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) president Monico Puentevella has only one marching order for Palagtiw and Cabalida.
“SWP has a simple policy: You win and you travel. You lose and you go back to the barracks,” Puentevella said.
“This is where it all starts. In preparation for the Asian Games and ultimately, the Olympics. We compete against the best in the world.”
So far, four of the six-man delegation won at least one medal in their respective weight categories.
Alexsandra Diaz, the niece of Tokyo Olympics champion Hidilyn Diaz, gave the Filipino lifters a strong start by winning three gold medals in the women’s 48kg division and setting two new world records after lifting 98kgs in the clean-and-jerk and posting a total lift of 175kgs.
Jay-R Colonia bagged another gold medal for the Philippines in the men’s 56kg division with a clean-and-jerk of 140kgs while also clinching a silver medal in the snatch with 109kgs and another silver for his total lift of 249kgs.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 44kg division, Althea Bacaro settled for a silver in the clean-and-jerk with 80kgs and also captured a bronze with a total lift of 140kgs.
Two-time Asian Youth Games medalist Jhodie Peralta snagged two silver medals in the women’s 53kg category after lifting 85kgs in the snatch and recording a total lift of 188kgs.
Kirby Alas-as added another silver to the Filipinos’ harvest after lifting 113kgs in the clean-and-jerk in the men’s 60kg division.
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