Diaz, Ando miss podium in Doha tourney

Olympians Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando fell short on their campaign in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Grand Prix II after failing to make into the Top 10 in Doha, Qatar on Friday, Dec. 8.

Diaz, who is still getting used to competing in a heavier weight class at 59 kilograms, failed to register a total lift after deciding to pass all her attempts in clean & jerk.

The country’s first Olympic gold medalist actually finished eighth in snatch with a lift of 100 kilos, eight kilos lighter than eventual top performer Lou Shifang of China.

Ando, who competed with Diaz in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, also struggled in the competitive weight division after finishing at 11th place with a total lift of 215 kilos.

She struggled in snatch after placing 17th with 95 kilos before landing at eighth in clean & jerk with 120 kilos.

Ando actually failed to lift 95 kilos on her first two tries in snatch before successfully registering it in her final attempt. It was a different case in clean & jerk where she posted 120 kilos on her first try, before stumbling in her next two attempts at 124 kilos.

Lou, who won the silver medal in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last October, ruled the weight category with a total lift of 247 kilos to outshine reigning Asian Games champion Kim Il-gyong of North Korea, who managed 243 kilos. Canada’s Maude Charron bagged the bronze with 233 kilos.

After getting overshadowed in the Asian Games, Lou dominated the weight division this time as she topped the snatch (108 kilos) and clean & jerk (139).

Kim and Maude also grabbed silver and bronze in the snatch and clean & jerk, respectively.

Overall, Team Philippines has four gold medals — three from Rosegie Ramos and one from John Febuar Ceniza.