WEIGHTLIFTER Elreen Ann Ando earned a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics via the International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) individual continental Asian quota.
Ando will be competing in the women’s 64-kg class. The 25-year-old Cebuana will join Rio 2016 silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz and 11 other Filipinos in Tokyo.
The IWF, through interim President Dr. Michael Irani and General Secretary Mohammed Jalood, confirmed the qualification of Ando, and also that of Diaz, in a communique sent to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on Saturday morning.
Diaz ranks second in the women’s 55-kg category with 3774,9004 points—behind world No. 1 Quiyun Liao (4519, 3827) of China—to earn her fourth-straight Olympics appearance.
Also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics are skateboarder Margielyn Didal, gymnast Carlos Yulo, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Bryan Barbosa and boxers Irish Magno, Eumir Felix Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam.
Mariano Araneta, chef de mission to the Tokyo Olympics, said he expects at least 20 Filipinos to qualify for the Games.
Golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan are virtually qualified for the Games.
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