By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Paris Olympian Elreen Ando added three more medals for Team Philippines following her silver finishes in her division in the 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Jiangshan, China on Sunday, May 11.
A 2022 Asian Games bronze medalist, Ando posted a total lift of 232 kilograms to settle behind eventual winner Li Shuang of China, who dominated the women’s 64kg class with 239 kilos. South Korean Mun Minhee bagged the bronze with 214 kilos.
The Cebuana standout registered 102 kilos in snatch — three kilos lighter than Li’s 105 — for her first silver medal, then 130 kilos in clean & jerk for her second silver.
Ando actually tried 134 and 135 kilos on her last two attempts with hopes of matching or even eclipsing Li’s 134-kilo lift but were both unsuccessful.
With Ando’s feat, the PH team now has seven silver medals – three from Rosegie Ramos in the women’s 49kgs and one from Fernando Agad Jr. in the men’s 55kg.
The said medal haul was enough to put the Filipinos at seventh in the overall medal tally, with Kristel Macrohon seeking to end the team’s gold-medal drought in this tournament when she competes in the women’s 71kg.
At press time, host China dominates the medal standings with 13 gold, six silver and seven bronze medals, followed by North Korea with five gold and one silver medal.
PH’s Southeast Asian rivals are at third to fifth places with Thailand collecting three gold and three silver medals, Indonesia with three gold and one bronze, and Vietnam with two gold, three silver and five bronze medals.
South Korea is at sixth with one gold and four bronze medals.
