Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) head coach Tony Agustin refuted the circulating news casting doubt on the eligibility of Olympic hopefuls Elreen Ann Ando and Kristel Macrohon.
To be eligible for the Olympics, a lifter is required to join a minimum of six Olympic qualifying events. But a message received by sportswriters and the SWP claimed Ando and Macrohon were only able to join three Olympic qualifiers.
Agustin insisted that the ongoing Asian Weightlifting Championship in Uzbekistan is Ando’s sixth Olympic qualifying tournament, which gives the 22-year-old lifter a chance for a slot in the Tokyo Games.
To prove this, Agustin shared with PTV Sports all the competitions joined by Ando and Macrohon.
He said the first of Ando’s six competitions was the Asian Championship in Ningbo, China, in 2019, where she placed 14th. She also joined the IWF World Championship in September 2019, the Southeast Asian Games where she took bronze for the Olympics (qualifier), the World Cup last December, and the Tianjin World Cup, another Olympic qualifying event. The Uzbekistan tilt is the sixth.
Ando won the bronze in the Snatch of the Asian Championships after inking a 94-kilogram record. She also took silver in the Clean And Jerk, holding a 119-kilogram record in the 64-kilogram class. In total, Ando carried a 213-kilogram total lift that earned her another silver.
The Cebu-native lifter now has a good chance at raising her world ranking, which is now at #26. Those who make it to top 8 in the Olympic rankings in each division will get to clinch slots in the Olympics.
“Optimistic kami na aakyat talaga ‘yong ranking nya. Ang (concern) namin, kung enough ba para makapasok siya doon sa qualifying (ranking),” he said.
“‘Yon na lang hinihintay namin, kasi hindi puwedeng kami ‘yong magsabi na puwede na. Ang competition kasi is per continent, continental ‘yong competition, Ma’am, nasa Asia pa lang. Alam ko ‘yong Europe natapos na rin nila ‘yong competitions. Per continent tatapusin ‘yon, tsaka pa lang ico-compute ng Weightlifting Olympic Committee para ma-rank sila ulit.”
[We are optimistic about her ranking improving. Our only concern is if it is enough to make it to the qualifying (ranking). That is the only thing we are waiting for, because we cannot say just by ourselves that she has made it. The competition is done by continent, the competition is continental. Ma’am, we are still in Asia. I know that Europe is done with the competitions. They will have to finish per continent before the Weightlifting Olympic Committee will start ranking again],” Agustin explained.
As for Zamboangeña lifter Macrohon, Agustin made it clear that she is now in the seventh qualification tournament. She holds 22nd place in the Women’s 71-kilogram event with 2,113.6128 points.
“World Championship, Asian Championship 2019, World Championship 2019, SEA Games 2019, World Cup 2019, then the World Cup 2020, at tsaka ‘yong [and also] Asian [Weightlifting Championship] Games 2021,” Agustin said, listing the qualifying events Macrohon has joined.
As of now, among the Filipino weightlifters seeking a spot in the Tokyo Games, it is 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz who has so far qualified.
Report by Khay Asuncion/JBB-jlo
