CHONBURI, Thailand – Albert Delos Santos won a silver medal in the men's 71kg class in weightlifting that glittered like gold in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Sunday.
The 19-year-old set a new world juniors record in the clean and jerk with a lift of 186kg on his way to a 324kg total for the Philippines’ first medal in weightlifting.
READ 'Multi-tasking' Hidilyn Diaz fails to medal in SEA Games return
Delos Santos shattered the previous mark which he owned by one kilogram that he set during the October’s IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Forde, Norway.
Weeraphon Wichuma of Thailand won the gold medal in a new world record of 195kg for a total of 347. He reset both marks that he also pulled off during the last world championships by a kilogram.
Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz hailed him as the future of weightlifting after the competition. Delos Santos is being trained by Diaz and his husband Julius Naranjo together with his mother Diwa and father Alvin.
“It’s a lot coming from her,” said Delos Santos. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve looked up to her. And to have an opportunity to train with her and her husband with the collaboration of my mom and dad, it’s been a blessing.
"Legit. I’m very thankful for everything.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
