Delos Santos stuns Chinese ace for two weightlifting golds

Albert Ian delos Santos during the Junior men’s 67kg category in the IWF Youth and Junior World Championships. –IWF PHOTO

When Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo handed the country its first gold medal in the Olympics, she had to go through a Chinese star who was then the world record holder.

Four years later, in a tournament of much lesser scale, Albert Ian Delos Santos overcame the famed red lifters at the recent International Weightlifting Federation 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Peru.

“I had a back injury last year and it was difficult. But I knew I could do it,’’ said beaming Delos Santos after beating favorite Yang Jinwen of China in striking two gold medals in the men’s 67-kilogram junior category.

Beating China in the sport is uncommon, with Diaz-Naranjo accomplishing the trick in Tokyo during the 2021 Summer Games, when she cornered Liao Qiuyun in the women’s 55kg category.

“I really focused on winning as soon as I was given the opportunity to compete,” said Delos Santos.