Southeast Asian (SEA) Games silver medalist Angeline Colonia and 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships runner-up Rose Jean Ramos kick off the Philippine weightlifting team’s campaign in the IWF World Cup starting on Sunday in Phuket, Thailand.
Colonia and Ramos will be the first to see action for the nine-man delegation as they compete in the women’s 45-kilogram division.
This tournament is also the final qualifier for aspiring athletes hoping to make it to the 2024 Paris Olympics which starts on 26 July.
Rosegie Ramos, who is currently in ninth place in the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Ranking of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), will compete in the women’s 49-kg division as she tries to stay within the top ten of the rankings as she and SEA Games silver medalist Lovely Inan start on Monday.
John Fabuar Ceniza, the lone male weightlifter in the delegation, will compete in the men’s 61-kg division on Tuesday to maintain his spot at the top of his weight category.
On Wednesday, both Tokyo Olympics champion Hidilyn Diaz and 19th Asian Games bronze medalist Elreen Ando will compete in the women’s 59-kg division to determine who will represent the Philippines in the biggest multi-sport event.
Only one athlete per national Olympic committee will get an outright berth.
With Diaz and Ando ranked in ninth and 11th place, respectively, this will be their showdown in the Olympic qualifiers.
Diaz, who is aiming to make it to her fifth straight Olympics, said their battle will boil down to who wants it more.
“The two of us are competing in 59-kg, so we are hoping for the best of luck,” she said.
“We all are undergoing the Olympic qualifiers and know the hardships we had to go through in these qualifiers since it is for the country.”
The Philippines’ campaign will cap off with SEA Games gold medalists Vanessa Sarno and Kristel Macrohon competing in the women’s 71-kg division on 7 April.
Sarno is also expected to maintain her Olympic ranking as she is currently in sixth place in her weight division.
