WEIGHTLIFTER Vanessa Sarno is shooting for an additional medal for the Philippines in Day 14 of the 2024 Paris Olympics at the South Paris Arena.
Sarno is entered in the women’s 71kg and will cap off the Philippine weightlifting team’s campaign in the Paris Games. Her competition starts on Thursday, 7:30 p.m. local time (Friday, 1:30 a.m. Manila time).
The 2020 Asian champion submitted an entry total of 250kg, which is within medal range among the 12 weightlifters in the competition. Olivia Reeves of the US had the biggest entry total of 268, followed by Loredana Elena Toma of South Africa after she also sent in a 250 entry total like Sarno.
According to International Weightlifting Federation regulations, an athlete must lift at least the entry total declared minus 20kg, or be excluded from the competition.
A medal, though, won’t be a sure thing for Sarno even with the submitted entry totals.
Sarno was fourth in the IWF Olympic Qualification Ranking after registering a best lift of 249kg during the qualification period, with Reeves topping the ranking with 268, followed by Angie Paola Palacios Dajomes of Ecuador with 261, and Toma with 256.
Dajomes passed a 245 entry total for Thursday’s competition, but is capable of lifting more than that based on her qualification ranking, setting up a possible open race for the silver and bronze medals.
Regardless, Sarno is eyeing a respectable finish in her first Olympic appearance.
Kababayan Elreen Ando is coming off a sixth-place ranking in the women’s 59kg competition last Wednesday after lifting a personal best of 130 in the clean and jerk on her way to a 230 total.
READ: Elreen Ando's strong finish lands her at sixth in weightlifting
Surprise medal from golf in play
Meanwhile, Bianca Pagdanganan is also seeking to stay in the medal hunt in the third round of the women’s individual stroke play competitions in golf.
Pagdanganan is in a share of sixth place with a 141 total, only five shots behind leader Morgane Metraux of Sweden, and two behind third-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand.
READ: Bianca Pagdanganan moves into medal contention after a 69
Dottie Ardina is also looking to go up in the rankings as she is currently at No. 40 with a 148.
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