The leadership of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) believes Elreen Ando is highly capable of duplicating the feat of Hidilyn Diaz if and when she qualifies for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
SWP president Monico Puentevella said the 25-year-old Ando wound up sixth overall in the women’s 50-kilogram event after a total lift of 230 kgs.
“We talked about who has the potential to make it to the LA Olympics and Ando is one of them. Hidilyn got her first medal on the third try and maybe Ando can get hers,” Puentevella said.
Puentevella is also pinning his hopes on another top lifter in Rosegie Ramos, who narrowly missed making the Olympic grade by one kilo.
Puentevella’s belief in Ando for LA isn’t far off.
After all, Diaz picked up a silver medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the women’s 53-kg, her third Summer Games participation.
Diaz began her Olympic campaign as an inexperienced 16-year-old in the 2008 Beijing Games where she finished 11th in the 58-kg.
It looked as if Diaz was not going anywhere after a DNF in the London edition in 2012 in the same weight class before finally hitting paydirt four years later in Brazil.
As for the prospects of seeing Diaz serve as coach of the national team, Puentevella swears it is something that is not far off.
“She could but we need to talk about it,” Puentevella said.