MANILA, Philippine, April 27 ------ Vanesa Sarno will be putting the hopes of the Philippines on her capable shoulders for the weightlifting team in the upcoming 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia next month. As Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz begged off from competing in the biennial meet as she shifts her focus to qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sarno gets the honor of being one of the athletes to watch out for in weightlifting.
Sarno introduced herself to the region in Hanoi last year when she ruled the women's 71-kg competition with SEA Games records all across the board. The 19-year-old lifted SEA Games records in snatch (104kg), clean and jerk (135kg), and total (239kg). Now in just her second SEA Games, Sarno says she is primed for another run. "Yung preparations ko, okay naman. And ngayon na pa-Cambodia kai, excited ako," Sarno said during Team Philippines send-off at the PICC.
Despite Diaz missing out on the competition, Sarno said that she continues to motivate the whole weightlifting team and gave them confidence to see action without her. "Okay naman yung pagmomotivate niya samin na magcocompete kami without si Ate [Hidilyn]," she said.
As for being pegged as Diaz' heir apparent, with the Philippines looking at her to continue the bemedaled Olympian's run, Sarno says that she is taking it as motivation to continue getting better. "Yung sinasabi nila na ganon, nakaka-overwhelm," she said of comparisons to Diaz. "Nape-pressure po ako, pero mas namomotivate ako lalo na galingan ko," she said.
Joining Sarno in Cambodia is Olympian Elreen Ando, Kristel Macrohon, Angeline Colonia, Lvely Inan, Rosalinda Faustino, John Febuar Ceniza, Dave Lloyd Pacaldo and John Dexter Tabique.
Source: philstar.com
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