Ando falls short of weightlifting gold

MANILA, Philippines — Cousins Margaret and Nestor Colonia, and Elreen Ann Ando kept the fire burning for Philippine weightlifting a day after Hidilyn Diaz’ breakthrough win  in the Southeast Asian Games, producing a pair of silver medals and a bronze yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Ando came close to matching Diaz’ gold-medal effort, losing the 66kg event to Vietnamese Pham Thi Hong by the thinnest of margins.

The Filipina was ahead when a “No Lift” decision was given her by the judges at her third attempt in the clean and jerk category. She ran out of time after burning the full minute, resulting to a loss by a solitary point. 

“Nabigla na lang ako na wala nang oras,” Ando said. “Akala ko sa Vietnam pa yung oras tapos pag buhat ko, sa akin na pala.” 

Nevertheless, the 21-year-old was happy to win a silver medal for the country. She registered 98 kgs in the snatch and 115 kgs in the clean and jerk, totalling 213 as against Pham’s 214. 

The Colonia cousins raised their family’s name with their podium finishes in their respective classes.

Margaret won the silver medal in women’s 59kg division after lifting a total of 189 kgs . She lifted 82 kgs. in the snatch and 107 in the clean and jerk, finishing second behind Vietnam’s Thu Duyen Hoang who lifted 210 kgs.

Meanwhile, Nestor posted a podium finish in men’s 67kg class, bagging the bronze, an improvement from his fourth-place finish in the last SEAG.

The 2016 Olympian registered a total lift of 287 kgs with 127 in snatch and 160 in clean and jerk. 

Colonia finished behind Indonesia’s Deni Deni, who snatched the gold with 315 kgs and Vietnam’s Xuan Hoang Dinh, who registered 308 kgs to get the silver.