By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo displayed her dominance to capture a gold medal in the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas’ (SWP) National Weightlifting Championships held recently at a mall in Bacolod City.

Diaz-Naranjo, who represented the Philippine Air Force and the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy, captured the gold medal in the women’s 59-kilogram class with a total of 217-kg lift.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner finished on top in the snatch category with a total of 97 kg lift before also ruling the clear and jerk category with her 120 kg.

The Zamboanga City-native lifter is using the tournament in preparation for her participation in the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, France.

Elreen Ando, a gold medal winner in the recent Southeast Asian Games, also made her presence felt by topping the women’s 64-kg category against some local weightlifters.

Prior to the start of the competition organized by SWP, there were reports that Diaz-Naranjo and Ando both wanted to compete in the 64-kg division.

But SWP chief Monico Puentevella managed to sort out the possible clash of the country’s two top weightlifters by putting Diaz-Naranjo in the -59 kg and Ando in the -64 kg.

However, there is still a possibility that Diaz-Naranjo and Ando will collide in the -59 kg division of the IWF World Championships in Saudi Arabia this September, which is a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Other notable winners in the week-long competition are Vanessa Sarno in the women’s 71-kg category and Kristel Macrohon in the women’s 76-kg division.

The tournament served as a tryout for the selection of the national weightlifters that will be representing the country in the Asian Games in China and Asian Youth and Junior Championships in India later this year./ASC, WDJ