SAMAHANG Weightlfiting sa Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella said the country has a strong chance of replicating Hidilyn Diaz’s Tokyo Olympics gold medal feat not just in the 2024 Paris Games, but also in the 2028 Los Angeles edition.
“We’ll get another medal in Paris, could be silver or gold. With enough international exposure and proper training, I can see it coming,” Mr. Puentevella, who was inducted to the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame in Tirana, Albania Saturday, told The STAR yesterday.
“We’re among the best in the world now, our program is bearing fruit,” he added.
Mr. Puentevella sees Ms. Diaz, Asian champion and Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and Kristel Macrohon as the country’s top bets in Paris while he has high hopes world junior champion Rose Jean Ramos and his sister Rosegie would qualify in LA.
“I can see the Ramos sisters as making it to Los Angeles 2028,” he said.
Under Mr. Puentevella’s leadership, the country delivered its breakthrough Olympic gold in Ms. Diaz in Tokyo last year.
And thanks to the emergence of Ms. Sarno and the Ramos siblings, the country’s success story will not start in weightlifting will not start and end with Ms. Diaz’ magnificence in Tokyo. — Joey Villar