Cebuana weightlifter Elreen Ando is joining Hidilyn Diaz at the Tokyo Olympics. Ando, who is from Carreta, Cebu City, qualified to the quadrennial meet after claiming three medals in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in April in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Her participation and podium finishes allowed her to snare a continental allocation slot.
The 22-year old Ando became the second Filipino weightlifter in the Olympic delegation next to Diaz, who is on her fourth stint to the Olympiad.
Ando, who is considered as one of the best weightlifters of the University of Cebu, finished the Tashkent meet with two silver medals and one bronze medal in the 64-kilogram division.
The Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas got confirmation on the status of Diaz and Ando from the International Weightlifting Federation on Friday.
There are now 11 official qualifiers to the Olympics from the Philippines.
The others are pole vaulter EJ Obiena, world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo, boxers Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio, and Carlo Paalam, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, and skateboarder Margielyn Didal.