TOKYO—Watch out for Elreen Ann Ando come the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“That girl is good. Take care of her,” Monico Puentevella quoted International Weightlifting Federation secretary general Hasan Jalood Mohammed as saying when the Olympic newcomer competed in women’s 64 kgs class of weightlifting on Tuesday night at the Tokyo International Forum.
Puentevella, president of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas, said that although Ando wasn’t good for a podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics, the sport’s international officials were excited about her future.
“That’s the same thing Hasan Mohammed told me when he first saw Hidilyn (Diaz),” Puentevella said.
Diaz was a wildcard at 18 years old at the Beijing 2008 Olympics but progressed into a gold medalist in Tokyo. Ando, too, finished without a medal at seventh place in Tokyo but left a trail full of promise.
Puentevella said the association is ready to invest in the 22-year-old from Cebu City.
“What I’m doing to Ando is what I did to Hidilyn,” said Puentevella, shortly before their departure for Manila on Wednesday morning.
Ando was 10 kilograms short of the winning lift of eventual gold medal winner Maude Charron of Canada. Silver medalist Giorgia Bordignon of Italy was also way ahead of Ando with a total lift of 232kg.
But Puentevella is hopeful a good program for Ando could make her a medal contender in future Olympics.
Image courtesy of Warren Ryan