Elreen Ando resets personal bests to finish 6th in Olympic weightlifting return

MANILA, Philippines – Filipina weightlifter Elreen Ando reached new heights even as an Olympic medal remained elusive.

Ando set a pair of personal-best marks as she placed sixth in the women’s 59kg division in the Paris Olympics at the South Paris Arena on Thursday, August 8.

Competing in a lighter weight class after seeing action in the 64kg category in the Tokyo Games three years ago, Ando totaled a personal-best 230kg for a decent finish in the event dominated by a triumvirate of champions.

After matching her personal best in snatch with 110kg, the Cebuana cleared 130kg in clean and jerk for a total of 230kg.

She erased her previous personal bests of 128kg (clean and jerk) and 228kg (total), which she set in the International Weightlifting Federation World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, in April to beat out Hidilyn Diaz for an Olympic berth.

Reigning world champion Luo Shifang of China smashed all the Olympic records in the division with a 107kg snatch, 134kg clean and jerk, and 341kg total as she bested two Tokyo gold medalists.

Canada’s Maude Charron, the 64kg titlist in Tokyo, settled for silver with 236kg, while Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Hsing-Chun, the 59kg winner in Tokyo, bagged bronze with 235kg. – Rappler.com