Teen lifter Colonia resets Asian and world standards

Weightlifter Angeline Colonia. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Angeline Colonia, a 15-year-old lifter from Zamboanga with an Olympic pedigree, gave the country a lot of shining moments after erasing the world and Asian youth records in her weight category with two gold medals and a silver in the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan over the weekend.

Colonia’s record-shattering feat of 62 kilograms in the snatch that wiped out the world and Asian youth standards of 61 kgs was enough to project a rosy future for the sister of 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympian Nestor Colonia and 1988 Seoul Olympian Gregorio Colonia, who happens to be their uncle and coach.

“She just broke the Asian and world records today (on Sunday). We are preparing her for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028,” Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella told the Inquirer.

Besides resetting the standards in the snatch, Colonia eclipsed the continental youth record of 133 kgs with a total lift of 134 kgs.

Colonia, however, came up short for a perfect finish, settling for a silver (72 kgs) in the clean and jerk behind Vietnamese Duong Thi Kim Yen’s 73-kg effort.

This fresh feat has been booked outright to the growing list of young Filipino lady lifting champions starring 18-year-old Asian champion Vanessa Sarno and the Ramos siblings—Rosegie and Rose Jean—all of them future medal prospects in the Olympics, according to Puentevella.

“Vanessa, Rosegie, Rose Jean are all there for more medals and we’ve got more coming,” said Puentevella, who was recently enshrined to the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame.

Sarno, a Southeast Asian Games gold medalist in the 71 kg category, and the world youth champion Rose Jean (women’s 45 kg) are likewise scheduled to see action in Uzbekistan with high expectations for them to deliver. INQ