WEIGHTLIFTING chief Monico Puentevella believes that Cebuana lifter Elreen Ann Ando needs a bit more seasoning and exposure after bombing out last Sunday night in the women’s 59kg division of the 53rd Asian Weightlifting Championships in Jinju, South Korea.
Competing under the bright lights of the Jinju Arena and in her first face-off with Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidylin Diaz, Ando faltered, failing in all three tries at 125 kilos in the clean-and-jerk after easily hoisting 99 kilos in the snatch, the same weight her illustrious teammate cleared.
“Our coaches told me that Elreen easily lifts 130 kilos in practice, but it seems that the nerves got the better of her again. I believe this shows she needs more seasoning and a bit more mental toughness,” noted Puentevella, who witnessed the athlete’s performance at ringside.
“This is why we hired a sports psychologist so that our weightlifters can work on their mental toughness,” he added.
Puentevella, the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president, expressed confidence that Ando will be able to bounce back strong when she competes in the same weight class in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games later this week.
“Elreen is a fighter so we are confident she can recover and be in a strong position for the gold in the same weight class in Cambodia,” Puentevella said.
Puentevella said Vanessa Sarno and Kristel Macrohon see action in the women’s 71-kilogram division starting at 3 p.m. (4 p.m. in Manila) today.
