By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Vanessa Sarno virtually clinched a berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics after her record-breaking performance in the women’s 71kg of the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand on Sunday, April 7.
The 20-year-old Asian champion, who competed in Group B, finished fifth overall with a total lift of 245 kilograms, highlighted by her record-setting feat in snatch where she lifted 110kg.
That enabled her to eclipse her previous mark of 108kg set at the IWF World Cup in Doha, Qatar last year. She posted 135kg in clean & jerk.
Sarno is now the third weightlifter to join the PH team to the Paris Games.
A few hours later, American Olivia Reeves bannered the Group A hostilities and eventually topped the event with 268kg total, outshining world record holder Liao Guifang of China (264) and North Korea’s Song Kuk Hyang (261).
Sarno’s best performance of 249kg in Doha puts her at fifth place in the Olympic qualification rankings, making her the latest Filipino athlete to book a berth in Paris.
Only the Top 10 lifters in the qualification rankings will earn Olympic tickets.
The two other qualified weightlifters are Elreen Ando in the women’s 59kg and John Febuar Ceniza in the men’s 61kg.
Other Filipino qualifiers to Paris are boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan, and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
