Cebu’s John Febuar Ceniza falls short in Olympic debut

The Philippines’ John Febuar Ceniza competes in the men’s -61kg weightlifting event during the Paris 2024 Olympics at the South Paris Arena in Paris, on August 7, 2024. | Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

CEBU CITY, Philippines— Cebu’s weightlifting bet John Febuar Ceniza fell short in the men’s 61-kilogram category of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday evening, August 7, 2024, at the South Paris Arena. 

Ceniza, a first timer in the Olympics, finished among the top 12 contenders in his weight category.

Ceniza faltered in his snatch, attempting to have a starting 125-kilogram lift, but went on to fail in three tries. 

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It was a far cry from Ceniza’s best performance last year in the Hangzhou, Asian Games, where he lifted a personal record of 134kgs in snatch, which happens to be also the Philippine record. 

Nonetheless, Ceniza will be welcomed with a P200,000 cash incentive from the Cebu City government.

Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) chief Monico Puentevella already forecasted that he wasn’t expecting too much from the three lifters currently competing weightlifters in Paris.

Puentevella is grooming them for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA. 

Despite this setback, the Philippines still has two medal hopefuls in two-time Olympian Elreen Ando and Vanessa Sarno.

Ando, also from Cebu, will compete Thursday, August 8, at 9 p.m., in the women’s 59 kgs category, while Sarno of Bohol will vie in the women’s 71 kgs on Friday, August 9.