EXPECTATIONS were high when Rose Jean Ramos arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan less than a week ago for the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships following her magnificence in the World Youth Championships in Leon, Mexico the month before.
She didn’t disappoint.
Armed with the same iron-clad grit and unflappable resolve that captured her a pair of gold medals and silver in Leon, the 17-year-old lass from Zamboanga City went on a gold-grabbing spree and hauled in four mints, one silver and a bronze in a spectacular show of force Monday night.
Ms. Ramos swept all three golds in the women’s 45-kilogram youth division (13 to 17 years old) as she reigned supreme in snatch, clean and jerk and total with impressive lifts of 70 kg, 83 kg and 153kg, respectively.
She added another gold in the older junior division (15-20) in snatch and had silver in total and bronze in clean and jerk using the same weight lifted in the youth section.
It was a feat that reinforced notions that Ms. Ramos is one of the country’s potential successors to Philippine weightlifting queen Hidilyn Diaz, who delivered the country’s breakthrough Olympic gold in the Tokyo Games last year.
It added to an already massive Philippine medal collection of six golds, two silver and three bronzes.
Two of the mints were provided for by another Zamboanga product in 15-year-old Angeline Colonia a few days back.
And expect more to come out from that powerful Philippine weightlifting gold medal machine today as Rose Jean’s elder sister, 16-year-old Rosegie, and Asian and Southeast Asian Games teenage sensation, 18-year-old Vanessa Sarno are scheduled to compete next.
“Rosegie will get some golds too I hope and Vanessa will rule her weight tomorrow (today, Manila time) hopefully for more golds,” Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella told The STAR.
“This will be a golden trip, gold for everyday. Our future is here,” he added. — Joey Villar