Sarno, Ando going for medals in Paris

Vanessa Sarno TMT PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines: Filipino weightlifters Vanessa Sarno and Elreen Ando said that they are going for medals no less at the Paris Olympics.

Sarno, making her first Olympic appearance, said that she isn’t going to Paris just to get an experience. The weightlifter from Bohol eyes at least a bronze medal no matter how difficult that goal is.

“My goal is to win a medal in the Olympics. I want to break the mentality that you should just look for exposure in your first go [that you should be just satisfied with that], I want to medal right away,” said Sarno at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) online forum on Tuesday.

“We have to put our goals in our hearts and mind to make the impossible possible,” added the 20-year-old Sarno.

Sarno qualified for the Paris Games by finishing fifth in the women’s 71kg Olympic Qualification Rankings (OQR). The top 10 finishers in each weight category advanced to the Olympics.

Sarno last competed in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup women’s 71kg class in Phuket, Thailand on April 7, when she established a new national standard in snatch with a 110 kg lift, topping the previous record of 108 that she herself posted in IWF Grand Prix in Doha last December.

The aforementioned tournament was one of the qualifying events for the Olympics where Sarno hoisted her best total lift of 249kg, having raised 139 in clean and jerk. That 249kg stood strong enough for Sarno to survive the World Cup, the last Olympic qualifier where she hoisted 135 in clean and jerk for a total of 245kg only.

Dubbed as the heir apparent to the first Filipino Olympic gold medalist, Sarno said she’s more excited than she’s nervous heading to Paris.

“I’m actually more excited than I am nervous. I promise that we’re going to do our best to podium in Paris,” said Sarno, who has her work cut out for her in making the podium of the women’s 71kg class.

With only two months of preparation left, Sarno has to see herself lifting a total of around 260 to 270kgs (snatch and clean and jerk combined) to have a realistic shot of making the podium.

That is because the top three finishers in the OQR — China’s Liao Guifang, USA’s Oliva Reeves, and Ecuador’s Angie Palacios — have best total lifts of 273kg, 268, and 261kg, respectively.

Competing in the women’s 59kg class, Ando, on the other hand, made a promise to bring home a medal from Paris to the Philippines, dedicating his fight for his late father Lupito who died in 2022 due to liver cancer.

“I’m dedicating this to my father. I promise that I’m going to get it. I’m going to bring home a medal in the Olympics.”

Ando made it to the Paris Games by finishing seventh in the OQR of her weight category, with her best lift of 228kg coming from the World Cup where she beat Diaz for that Olympic spot.

In order to make the podium in Paris, Ando has to lift around 236 to 240 kgs as the top three in the 59kg OQR — China’s Luo Shifang, Ukraine’s Kamila Konotop, and Canada’s Maude Charron — had best lifts of 248kg, 236, and 236 kg, respectively.

Ando said she’s inspired to go all out in Paris especially after getting a pep talk from Diaz, the only Filipino athlete with the distinction of being an Olympic, World Champions, Asian Games, and SEA Games champ.

“She [Diaz] said to me that I can keep up with the best in Paris.”

Aside from Sarno and Ando, John Ceniza will also fly the Philippine flag in Paris in the men’s 61kg.

“I will do my best to medal in Paris,” said Ceniza.