Boholana w’lifter Vanessa Sarno qualifies for Paris Olympics

Olympian weightlifters: From left, John Febuar Ceniza, Elreen Ando, and Vanessa Sarno during the IWF World Cup-Olympic Qualifiers in Phuket, Thailand. | Photo from Sarno’s Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Boholana weightlifter Vanessa Sarno qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics after finishing a strong fifth in the women’s 71-kilogram division of the 2024 International Weightlifting (IWF) World Cup-Olympic Qualifiers in Phuket, Thailand on Monday evening, April 8. 

Sarno punched her ticket to the Olympics in record-breaking fashion after she broke her national record in the snatch and clean and jerk. 

Vanessa Sarno is the third Filipino weightlifter to qualify for the Paris Olympics joining Cebu’s Elreen Ando and John Febuar Ceniza. 

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Vanessa Sarno lifted a total of 245 kgs. She lifted 135kgs in the clean & jerk and 110kgs in the snatch.

American Olivia Lynn Reeves won the gold medal with her 268-kg lift. Reeves had 150 kgs in the clean & jerk and 115 kgs in the snatch. 

China’s Guifang Liao settled for silver with her 264 kgs effort (149 clean & jerk and 115 kgs snatch), while North Korea’s Hyang Song Kuk (141 kgs clean & jerk, 105 kgs snatch) earned the bronze medal after lifting 261 kgs. 

Ahead of Sarno was Taiwan’s Wen Huei Chen (141 kg clean and jerk, 105 kg snatch), who had a total lift of 246 kg. 

Sarno finished fifth in snatch and sixth in the clean & jerk overall. 

Aside from Vanessa Sarno, Ando, and Ceniza, the other Filipinos who qualified for the Paris Games are EJ Obiena, Carlos Yulo, Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Aleah Finnegan, and Aira Villegas. 

The Philippines is initially targeting of sending 20 athletes to the quadrennial Games.

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