VANESSA Sarno remained a virtual shoo-in to the Paris Olympic Games last Sunday night after lifting a total of 245 kilograms to place fifth in the women’s 71kg division of the International Weight Lifting Federation World Cup in Phuket, Thailand.
Sarno, 20, actually topped Class B, avoiding the better weightlifters who were bracketed in Class A, hoisting 110 kilos in the snatch and 135 kilos in the clean-and-jerk in the last Olympic qualifying meet.
American sensation Olivia Reeves, who just turned 20, stamped her class, securing the top spot and a gold-medal sweep of the three events with lifts of 118 and 150 kilos for a combined tally of 268 kilos, eclipsing reigning Chinese world champion Liao Gui fang (115-149-264).
North Korea’s Song Kuk-hyang, who is No. 1 in the Olympic qualifying rankings but is not eligible for lack of qualifying competitions, finished third (115-146-261).
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Sarno, the pride of Tagbilaran, Bohol is set to become the country’s fourth weightlifter to make it to the Paris Summer Games after Rosegie Ramos (women’s 49kg), Elreen Ann Ando (women’s 71kg) and Jose Fabuar Ceniza (men’s 61kg).
Sarno is poised to become the country’s 10th Olympic qualifier, joining the likes of pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, gymnasts Carlos Edriel Yulo, Aleah Finnegan and boxers Felix Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas.
Sarno is currently ranked No. 6 in the IWF Olympic rankings, with the top 10 securing outright tickets to the Summer Games in the French capital in July.
The confirmation of their Paris stints will be officially announced by the world weightlifting body on April 28, according to Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella.
It will be the highest number of weightlifters the country will field in the quadrennial sports spectacle since Hidylin Diaz-Naranjo and Nestor Colonia saw action in the 2012 London Olympiad.
Puentevella could not help but reflect on the progress of the lifters during his watch, saying: “Twenty years ago, we started with one lifter for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In London and Brazil, we had two. Two years ago in Tokyo, we also had two lifters again and Hidilyn won the gold medal after 97 long frustrating years.
