The Philippines won five gold medals in the International Weightlifting Federation's (IWF) Youth and Junior World Championships held in Lima, Peru.
Athletes between the ages of 13 and 17 compete in the Youth division, while those between the ages of 15 and 20 compete in the Junior category.
Top winners
In the youth men's 49kg division, Jay-R Colonia of Zamboanga City won two gold medals (clean and jerk and total) and one silver (snatch). category in his first competition abroad.
Zamboanga City native Alexsandra Ann Diaz was third in the clean and jerk and won the youth women's 45 kg snatch and total.
After winning the Youth women's 40kg snatch, Cebuano Althea Bacaro won another gold medal for Team Philippines, earning the silver overall and the bronze in the clean and jerk.
Zamboangueña Angeline Colonia won the junior women's 45kg silver (snatch) and bronze (total) medals. In the clean and jerk, she came in fourth.
In the junior men's 55kg division, Prince Keil Delos Santos of Angono, Rizal finished sixth in the clean and jerk and fourth in the snatch and total.
Weightlifting lineage
The weightlifting lineage in the Philippines has steadily grown from modest beginnings to international success, driven by grassroots efforts, regional programs, and standout athletes who’ve inspired a new generation.
Historically, weightlifting in the Philippines was a niche sport with limited funding and facilities. The turning point came with Hidilyn Diaz, who became a national icon after winning silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics and then the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020.
