by Kristel Satumbaga-Villar
Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz banners the elite cast of weightlifters when they see action in the 2022 IWF World Championships on Dec. 5 to 16 in Bogota, Colombia.
Diaz will compete in the women’s 55kg class – the same weight division where she won the Olympic gold in Tokyo last year – in the tournament that offers ranking points to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Joining Diaz are fellow Tokyo Olympian Elreen Ando, Asian champion Vanessa Sarno, world juniors gold medalist Rosegie Ramos, Southeast Asian Games gold winner Kristel Macrohon, and Lovely Inan.
Ando will battle in women’s 59kg, Sarno and Macrohon in 71kg, and Ramos and Inan in 49kg.
The men’s team will feature 2015 Asian champion Nestor Colonia, John Febuar Ceniza and Dave Lloyd Pacaldo.
Colonia will compete in the 55kg, Ceniza in 61kg and Pacaldo in 67kg.
Accompanying the athletes are coaches Ramon Solis, Richard Agosto, Joe Patrick Diaz and Julius Naranjo, as well as weightlifting president Monico Puentevella and Team HD members Jeaneth Aro and Karen Trinidad.
Diaz hopes to maintain or surpass her bronze medal finishes in the 2015 Houston, 2017 Anaheim and 2019 Pattaya editions, while Sarno and Ando seek a podium finish after both placed fifth in their weight classes last year in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
