By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medal winner, failed to earn qualification for the 2024 Summer Games slated in July in Paris, France.

The Zamboanga City-native Diaz-Naranjo fell short of qualifying for the Olympics’ women’s 59-kilogram event after a subpar showing in the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand on Wednesday night, April 3.

Diaz-Naranjo finished with a 99kg lift in snatch before settling for a 123kg lift in clean and jerk to cap off her qualification campaign with 222kg in total.

In the snatch event, Diaz-Naranjo was successful at 95 and 99kg before faltering at 101kg.

In clean and jerk, she lifted 123kg before failing twice in the 127kg lift.

With this, Diaz-Naranjo snapped her streak of Olympic appearances after having competed from the 2008 edition until the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she captured a gold in the 55kg event.

Meanwhile, Elreen Ando booked a return trip to the Olympics as she garnered a total lift of 228kg, anchored on 100kg in snatch and 128kg in clean and jerk of the same 59kg event.

Ando was successful in lifting 98 and 100kg before failing at 102kg in the snatch event.

She then finished 125kg on the second try and completed 128kg in clean and jerk.

John Ceniza also booked his spot for the Summer Games following a strong showing in the men’s 61kg event, tallying a total lift of 300kg, following a 132kg from snatch and 168kg in clean and jerk.

Only the top 10 weightlifters in each weight category will qualify for the quadrennial event.

Ando and Ceniza joined fellow weightlifter Roselie Ramos, as well as pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan, and boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas in the Paris Summer Games./ASC, WDJ