Cebuana weighlifter Ando qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

CEBU, Philippines —  For the first time in the history of Cebu sports, two Cebuano athletes will be seeing action at the same time in the prestigious Olympics.

This after weightlifter Elreen Ando has qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics scheduled next month.

The former University of Cebu (UC) standout booked a ticket to the quadrennial games via the continental quota for the women’s -64 kgs. division.

In a list released by the International Weightlifting Federation on Saturday (Phl time), the 22-year-old Ando wound up 12th place in her division.

As per Luisa Morales of Philstar.com, Ando qualified because Europe already had four entries in just the top nine of the rankings. That enabled her to bypass the 10th and 11th rankings of Lisa Marie Schweizer and Anni Teija Vuohijoki.

Thus, Ando will be joining her townmate, skateboard sensation Margielyn Didal, who earlier qualified for the long delayed Tokyo Games as confirmed by World Skate.

She will also join fellow weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who will be competing in the -55 kgs. division in her fourth Olympics appearance.

In all, there are now a total of 11 Filipino athletes who will be donning the country’s tri-colors in the elite sports conclave that happens only once every four years.

The others are boxers Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, and Nesthy Petecio, gymnast Carlos Yulo, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, and rower Cris Nievarez.