Weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando contained in the Olympic village. HIDILYN DIAZ PHOTO
Quite than draw back from it, lifters Elreen Ando and Vanessa Sarno have embraced the eye after they have been labeled inheritor obvious to observe the success path of Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
“When folks say that we must always observe her (Diaz) footsteps, it solely conjures up me to do higher,’’ mentioned Ando earlier than the nationwide weightlifting workforce left on Wednesday evening for the 2021 Worldwide Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
A lot is anticipated from Ando, who personally witnessed the golden breakthrough of Diaz for Workforce Philippines within the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, to ship along with Sarno and the eight different Filipino lifters within the Dec. 7 to 17 world meet.
“I don’t really feel the strain every time I’m informed that I ought to observe her (Diaz) success. In truth, it motivates me to carry out at my greatest in each event,’’ mentioned the 18-year-old Sarno, the reigning Asian champion within the ladies’s 71-kilogram class.
In prime type
Backed by the Philippine Sports activities Fee, the anticipation for the 13-man weightlifting workforce to grab medals on this planet champs, the primary qualifying meet for the 2024 Paris Olympics, is excessive regardless of the absence of Diaz.
Ando sees motion within the ladies’s 59kg, Kristel Macrohon has been entered in the identical weight class as Sarno, whereas the forecast is likewise praiseworthy for Mary Flor Diaz (ladies’s 45kg), Elien Rose Perez (49kg) and Margaret Colonia (64kg).
“These children by no means stopped coaching even throughout the top of the pandemic. They’ve ready for this (world championship) for very long time,’’ mentioned Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella.
“They’re going via the identical grasp plan that we laid out for [Hidilyn] Diaz. They must carry house medals. They must try and try for their very own good,’’ added Puentevella. “I do know these children will go to [the] Paris [Olympics in 2024].’’
Hidilyn not prepared
Though Diaz will probably be skipping the world championship, Puentevella mentioned there are different tournaments that function Olympic qualifiers alongside the way in which, the approaching Southeast Asian Video games in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the Asian Video games in Hangzhou, China, subsequent 12 months, amongst them.
Diaz went to Malaysia not too long ago in an effort to jump-start her bid on this planet champs, however all of a sudden begged off from becoming a member of the journey to Tashkent, citing the quick time-frame to get again into nice form.
“She’s not prepared, however I do know Hidilyn will probably be again,’’ mentioned Puentevella.
The IWF requires lifters from nationwide groups everywhere in the world to play in six sanctioned tournaments that may function Olympic qualifiers to earn a shot at making it to Paris.
Fernando Agad is entered within the males’s 55kg, John Febuar Ceniza within the 61kg, Dave Lloyd Pacaldo within the 67kg and John Dexter Tabique within the 96kg. Becoming a member of them are coaches Robert Colonia, Richard Pep Agosto and Christopher Bureros.
“They’re all able to profitable the gold medal of their respective weight courses after pushing themselves actually onerous in coaching,’’ mentioned Puentevella, whose nationwide sport affiliation bagged the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the nation via Diaz’s heroics.
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