Weightlifter Angeline Colonia. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Angeline Colonia broke the world and Asian records in her weight class after bagging two gold medals and a silver in the just-concluded Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Sunday.
Colonia hoisted 62 kilograms in the snatch that shattered the world and Asian youth standard (61kgs) in the women’s 40kg category while her combined winning lift of 134 kgs has reset the continental youth standard of 134kgs in the total.
The 15-year-old sister of Rio De Janeiro Olympian Nestor Colonia came up short for the gold in the clean and jerk, settling for a silver (72kgs) behind Vietnamese Duong Thi Kim Yen’s 73kg effort.
Colonia’s fresh triumph has been added to the growing list of young Filipina weightlifting champions starring 18-year-old Asian champion Vanessa Sarno and the Ramos siblings—Rosegie and Rose Jean, both of them future medal prospects in the Olympics, according to weightlifting chief Monico Puentevella.
Hidilyn Diaz has been inspiring these young women lifters following her historic performance in the Tokyo Olympics last year that gifted the nation its first Olympic gold medal.
Colonia, the niece of 1988 Seoul Olympian Gregorio Colonia who functioned as her coach, was way ahead in the snatch after Duong’s 56kg and the 55kg of India’s Akansha Kishor Vyavhare that netted the latter a bronze medal.
Duong got the silver in the total (129kgs) and Vyavhare the bronze (125kgs).