Vanessa Sarno wins three silver medals in Asian Weightlifting Championships 2023

Vanessa Sarno in the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships.

MANILA, Philippines–Vanessa Sarno took a major step toward qualifying for the Paris Olympics next year after she collected three silver medals in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Jinju, South Korea, on Tuesday.

The former Asian junior and senior champion finished second behind China’s Liao Guifang in the snatch, clean and jerk and total categories of the women’s 71-kilogram division.

Sarno lifted 107kg in snatch and 132kg in clean and jerk for a total lift of 239kg.

It was a far cry from the 268kg of Liao, who built her total on a 120kg lift in snatch and 148kg in clean and jerk.

But with a year to go to the Olympics, Sarno knows exactly how much ground she needs to cover to be competitive in Paris. More importantly, her finish puts her inside the top eight with several more qualifying legs scheduled this year.

Sarno’s silver will be a big boost for her as she prepares to fly to Cambodia to defend her Southeast Asian Games title.

Vanessa Sarno in the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships.

Sarno owns the meet record in clean and jerk (135kg) and total (227kg) but remains uncertain if she’ll chase down those marks in Cambodia.

“I can’t really say if I can break the SEA Games record because I’ll be coming from the Asian [championships],” Sarno told the Inquirer before leaving for Korea. “But I’ll still do my best to be better in the SEA Games.”

“I want to win the gold. I just can’t say if I can better my record. We’re going to do heavy [load] in the Asian [championships] and then it’s going to be difficult to go heavy again in the SEA Games with just one week [to recuperate].”

The weightlifting delegation that went to Korea is set to arrive back in the country on Wednesday before flying to Cambodia the following day.
Chinese Taipei’s Chen Wen-Huei finished with the bronze in Korea, with a total lift of 232kg.

Sarno previously told the Inquirer that booking an outright spot for the Paris Olympics was her top priority this year, especially since the sport has been scrubbed off the 2028 Los Angeles Games calendar due to the failure of its international federation (IWF) to implement needed changes as mandated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

And with the possibility that it would take more than just one Olympic cycle for the IWF to wash and rinse itself of its alleged sins, Sarno says the urgency has been heightened for her to qualify for Paris.

“I always think, ‘What if this is my last chance?’ I’m pressured and motivated at the same time to give my all just to get that ticket to Paris,” she told the Inquirer.