Hurting Sarno finishes fifth

Vanessa Sarno wound up without a medal as she finished fifth place in the women’s 71-kilogram event last Wednesday in the 2024 AWF Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Sarno, one of the country’s best bets to take a slot in the 2024 Paris Olympics, lifted 100 kgs in snatch and 128 kgs in the clean and jerk for a total of 228.

North Korea’s Song Kuk Hyang dominated the event with a total lift of 269 kgs for the gold medal while Chen Wen-Huei of Chinese Taipei settled for runner-up honors with a total lift of 236 kgs.

Mun Minhee of South Korea completed the podium after a total of 231 kgs in the tournament which serves as one of the tournaments that stakes qualifying points for the Summer Games this July.

While the 2020 Asian champion fell short of making it to the podium, Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella was not exactly heartbroken.

The Bohol native is expected to compete in the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand from 31 March to 11 April.

“Her (Sarno) back is a bit off. She still finished within the top five lifters so that’s not a problem for her,” Puentevella said.

“She’s okay despite her back feeling a bit off. She will be able to bounce back in Thailand.”

Sarno, 18, still sits in fifth place in the International Weightlifting Federation’s Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Ranking, where only the top 10 of each weight division will get an outright berth in the Summer Games, which starts 26 July.

The Philippines finished the Tashkent tourney with three silver medals and one bronze medal courtesy of Rosegie Ramos and Elreen Ando.

Ramos plucked a silver and a bronze medal in the women’s 49-kg while Ando clinched two silvers in the women’s 59-kg event.

While Sarno, Ramos and John Fabuar Ceniza are poised to make it to the French capital, Puentevellla stressed that the Thai event could determine whether Ando or Tokyo Olympics champion Hidilyn Diaz will make the cast.

“Sarno, Rosegie and Fabuar have no problems. The only problem is between Hidilyn and Ando in Thailand,” Puentevella said.