By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Jhodie Peralta gave the Philippines another gold medal after ruling her division in the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Doha, Qatar on Saturday, Dec. 21.
Peralta, who just turned 15 last month, dominated the women’s youth 55 kilogram class after registering a total lift of 184 kilos, narrowly edging India’s Koyel Bar and Vietnam’s Luong Thi Than Nguyen.
Bar posted 182 kilos for the silver, while Nguyen managed 178 kilos for bronze.
Peralta started her campaign with successful lifts of 82 and 84 kilos in snatch. She attempted 87 kilos on her third attempt but failed.
She also managed 97 and 100 kilos on clean and jerk and tried 105 kilos, which went futile.
Peralta also came close to the podium in the junior division after landing at fourth place behind older and more experienced rivals in eventual gold winner Chen Guan-Ling of Chinese Taipei (214 kilos), Lamabam Nilam Devi of India (190 kilos) and Natcha Kaewnoi of Thailand (189 kilos).
Peralta joine Aldrin Colonia, who won the gold in the youth men’s -49kg class the day before, as well as silver medalists Prince Kiel Delos Santos and Angeline Colonia, and bronze winners Rosalinda Faustino and Alexandra Diaz.
