(Photo courtesy of Leyte Sports Academy)
TACLOBAN CITY — Two young powerlifters from Leyte dominated their respective divisions at the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa, winning four gold medals each for the Philippines.
Fourteen-year-old Lyra Shane Silvano of the Leyte Sports Academy (LSA), a native of Dulag, Leyte, captured four gold medals in the women’s Sub-Junior 43-kilogram category in her first appearance at the world championships.
Silvano topped the squat with a 105-kilogram lift, the bench press with 60 kg and the deadlift with 117.5 kg for a total of 282.5 kg, securing the division’s overall title.
Her performance also made her a new world record holder in the category.
Jane Erasmo of Matag-ob, Leyte, meanwhile, also swept the women’s Junior 57-kg category, winning gold in the squat, bench press and deadlift, as well as the overall title.
Erasmo lifted 200 kg in the squat, 132.5 kg in the bench press and 192.5 kg in the deadlift for a combined total of 525 kg.
Her victory enabled her to successfully defend her world championship title.
Erasmo was previously a sports scholar of LSA before joining the powerlifting team of Jose Rizal University, where she is pursuing a degree in criminology.
The IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships began on Aug. 18 and will run until Aug. 29.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
