Vanessa Sarno became the third Filipino weightlifter to qualify for the Paris Olympics later this year, after her performance in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup in Phuket, Thailand on Sunday.
Sarno is one of the last athletes from the Philippine delegation to compete, seeing action in the women’s 71kg division. She topped Group B with a total lift of 245kg — 110kg in the snatch, and 135kg in the clean-and-jerk. She now joins John Ceniza and Elreen Ando as the Philippines’ weightlifting representatives in Paris.
After Group A of the 71kg weight class competed, Sarno’s output was enough to maintain her fifth place standing in the IWF Olympic Qualification Ranking, wherein only the top 10 weightlifters in each category can earn tickets to the Summer Games.
The IWF World Cup is one of two mandatory events in order to qualify for the Paris Olympics—the other being the 2023 IWF World Championships in Riyadh.
Meanwhile, another Filipina in Kristel Macrohon lifted a total of 233kg in Group B, good for sixth place.
Another Filipina lifter, Rosegie Ramos, has to wait to know her qualification status after ending up in 11th place after the World Cup.
Other Filipino athletes who have secured their places in the Paris Olympics are: pole vaulter EJ Obiena; boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas; and gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan.
