PHNOM PENH—Easy peasy.
Making it look so easy despite her lack of sleep, Vanessa Sarno extended her reign in the women’s 71-kg. category by grabbing the gold in record fashion on Monday in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games weightlifting competitions at the Olympic Stadium here.
Fresh off her three-silver campaign in the Asian Championships in Jinju, Korea, the 19-year-old Sarno, who is being considered as Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz’s heir apparent, first cleared 105 lbs in the snatch on her third attempt, to shatter her own 104-lb record set last year.
She then lifted 120 on her first attempt in the clean and jerk to seize a total of 225 for the gold.
Sarno didn’t push herself any further after that, passing up on the chance to break her own SEA Games’ records in the clean and jerk (135kg) and total lift (239kg).
“Kaya naming ituloy. Pero si Vanessa ay galing pa sa Asian Championship na Olympic qualifier. Mataas na ang level ng performance niya doon. Dito pababa. Ayaw namin siyang masira dito. Ang goal lang namin was to get the SEA Games’ gold,” said Sarno’s coach Tony Agustin.
Sarno’s mentor revealed that his ward had earlier, unofficially tied her SEAG record with a total of 239 during her silver performances in Jinju, from her lifts of 107 in the snatch and 132 in the clean and jerk—the reason why they did not have to push Sarno any further.
As it turned out, Sarno didn’t have to exert herself, as her rivals here were simply outclassed by her performance.
Taking the silver was Thipwara Chontavin of Thailand with just 208 (17 lbs behind Sarno), followed by Indonesian Restu Anggi with her 206 total (19 behind).
“Wala pa po kaming masyadong tulog pagdating namin galing Korea. Pero in-enjoy ko na lang po ang sarili ko,” said Sarno, a native of Tagbilaran, Bohol.
Sarno bagged the Philippines’ second weightlifting gold a day after Elreen Ando’s record-smashing performance in the -59kgs.
The weightlifting team also had four silvers, courtesy of Angeline Colonia (women’s 45 kg), Lovely Inan (women’s 49 kg), John Febuar Ceniza (men’s 61 kg) and Rosalinda Faustino (women’s 55 kg).
