HANGZHOU - Erleen Ando made up for the medal-less campaign of Hidilyn Diaz by snatching a bronze in the women's 64 kg of the 19th Asian Games on Monday.
The 24-year-old Ando lifted a total of 222 kgs - 96kg in the snatch and 126 in the clean and jerk - to finish third in the category topped by Unsim Rim of North Korea.
READ: Hidilyn Diaz ends up in fourth place in Asian Games
Rim reset the Games record in snatch with a lift of 111, clean and jerk at 140, and her 251 total as well on the way to bagging the gold in dominant fashion.
Xinyi Pe of host China was good for a silver finish with a 234 total (104 in snatch and 130 in clean and jerk).
Ando's unexpected podium finish atoned for the loss of Diaz in the women's 59kg class which another North Korean bet, Igyong Kim, ruled behind record-breaking lifts.
The 32-year-old Diaz, the country's first ever Olympic gold medalist, only finished fourth in her weight class.
A product of University of Cebu, Ando offered her first-ever Asiad medal to her late father, Lupito.
"Alay ko ito sa aking pamilya, lalo na sa aking ama," she said of her father who died of liver cancer last year.
At the same time, the bronze finish somehow eased the pain of her lackluster stint in the Asian Championship early this year in Jinju, South Korea where she campaigned in the 59 kg class.
"Nalungkot talaga ako noong nag-zero ako sa Asian Championship. Nawala ang lungkot at napalitan ng saya dahil sa medalya na ito," she said.
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