By Adrian Stewart Co

Filipina weightlifter Elreen Ando fulfilled her dream of competing in the Olympics stage after qualifying to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics slated from July 27 to August 8 in Tokyo, Japan.

The Cebuana weightlifter’s Tokyo qualification via Absolute Continental Ranking for Asia was announced by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) over the weekend.

The 22-year-old Ando’s qualification to the Summer Games was also mixed with luck as she was ranked 12th in the women’s -64 kg division with accumulated 2634,9334 points.

The Cebuana gained the IWF’s nod after removing European lifters Lisa Marie Schweizer and Anni Teija Vuohijoki, who ranked 10th and 11th in the division, since Europe already had four lifters in the top 10.

Ando bolstered her Tokyo Olympics bid following her strong showing in the 2021 Asian Weightlifting Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where she captured two silvers and one bronze medals.

In the competition, Ando lifted a total of 213 kilograms in the women’s 64 kilogram division to capture one of the silver medals with Chen Wen Huei taking the gold with a total lift of 228 kilograms.

The Cebuana lifter also captured the silver medal in the clean and jerk with 119 kg, with Chen topping the event with 128 kg before the Filipina settled for bronze medal in snatch with 94 kg.

Ando became the second Filipina weightlifter in the Tokyo games aside from four-time Olympian Hidilyn Diaz, who captured a silver medal during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Also in the Olympics are boxing flyweight Carlo Paalam, middleweight Eumir Marcial, flyweight Irish Magno, and featherweight Nesthy Petecio; gymnast Caloy Yulo; pole vaulter EJ Obiena; taekwondo finweight Karl Barbosa; rower Cris Nievarez; and skateboarder Margie Didal./ASC, WDJ