Vanessa Sarno doesn't accept the popular belief that she's not cut out to win an Olympic medal.
„Everyone says that competing in the Olympics for the first time is for exposure. I want to break that mindset,“ Sarno said Tuesday at the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. He spoke at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum held at the office of
The 20-year-old weightlifter from Tagbilaran City, Bohol Island will compete in the biggest competition of his life as his first Olympic athlete at the 2024 Paris Games in July.
„I want to show that even a beginner like me can win a medal,“ said Sarno, the 2020 Asian champion in the women's 71kg category.
read: Vanessa Sarno proves skeptics wrong about Paris Olympics quota
Based on the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Olympic qualification rankings, Sarno placed fifth overall in his weight class after the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand last month.
She is a strong medal candidate after top qualifiers Olivia Reeves (USA), Liao Guifang (China), Angie Palacios (Ecuador) and Loredana Toma (Romania).
„I have to lift heavier plates than usual for both the snatch and the clean and jerk. I have over two months left, so I want to push myself beyond my limits,“ Sarno said.
Cebuanos John Seniza (men's 61kg class) and Eline Ando (women's 59kg class) also secured their spots in the Paris Summer Games, which will be held from July 26 to August 11.
taipei camp
Samahan Weightlifting Pilipinas (SWP) will set up a training camp in Taipei under Chinese coach Gao Kaiwen, who led Hidilin Diaz to the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
„He (Gao) is in Taipei. We want him to train there for a month, away from any possible distractions,“ said SWP President Monico Puentevera, who works with the PSC, San Miguel Corporation, Smart and Milo. said in a weekly forum sponsored by.
Ceniza is also ranked fifth in the same event and has a chance of winning a medal in her first Olympics, while Ando is aiming for a podium finish in her second consecutive Olympics after seeing her success in the Tokyo women's 64kg class. . INQ