Time is now for weightlifting ace Elreen Ando in return to Olympic stage

For someone who learned from, competed in the Olympics with, and surpassed a powerhouse figure in Hidilyn Diaz, Elreen Ando sure has a sparkling future ahead of her.

Sparkling like gold, for that matter.

And the perfect time to realize that is in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, where the 25-year-old weightlifting ace will look to eclipse her past Summer Games showing and continue what Diaz started when the latter won the country's first-ever gold in Tokyo.

Road to glory and redemption

The road to glory was not easy for Ando.

It took her two runner-up finishes before finally winning a gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games after she flaunted a record-breaking performance in the 2023 edition in Cambodia. Before that, she settled for silvers in the 2019 and 2021 SEAG editions.

In Phnom Penh, the Cebuana pride shattered the women's 59kg snatch and clean and jerk records when she lifted 98 and 118 kilograms by which she broke the previous records of 96 and 115kgs, respectively.

That outing was a huge leap from her seventh place output during her first Olympic appearance in Tokyo, where she competed in the 64kg division as Diaz represented the country in the 55kg category.

Aside from these, Ando also had her share of struggles in other tournaments like the Asian and World Championships as well as Asian Games.

Ando then decided to change her weight class and move into the 59kg — the same class that Diaz transitioned into after the 55kg was scrapped by the Paris organizers.

Despite this, Ando had to fulfill her dreams of returning to the Olympics at the expense of Diaz, the one whom many consider as the epitome of a Filipino athlete.

Ando and Diaz both competed in the 2024 IWF World Cup, but only one ticket per country in each weight category is awarded. Ando bested her compatriot Diaz by lifting 228kg built on 100kg in snatch and 128kg in clean and jerk while the latter only managed to tally 222 kg. 

Ready, set, Ando

Like herself, Ando will face some record holders in Paris. 

Taiwanese champion Kuo Hsing-chun will return to the fray and hopes to defend the gold medal she won after a historic performance in Tokyo. The Taiwanese champ set a new Olympic record of 236 kilogram by lifting 103kg in snatch and 133kg in clean and jerk, both of which are also Olympic marks in the 59kg weight division. 

The 30-year-old Hsing-chun also currently holds a world record of 140kg in clean and jerk she achieved in 2019. 

Luo Shifang of China, who ruled the 49kg category in Tokyo, has upgraded her weight and will now compete in the same division. She holds the total world record of 248kg she attained just last year and is currently the top-ranked lifter in the world rankings. 

World no. 2 Kim Il-Gyong of North Korea will not be seeing action, but world no. 3 Maude Charron and no. 5 Kamila Konotop of Ukraine are both ready to reach the podium this time. 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News