The Philippine weightlifting team wrapped up its campaign in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games with a modest haul of one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal as competitions concluded on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

John Dexter Tabique closed the country’s stint by placing fourth in the men’s 94-kilogram division after posting lifts of 152 kilograms in the snatch and 184 in the clean and jerk for a 336 total at the Chonburi venue.

Thailand’s Sarat Sumpradit dominated the class with a combined 366 to claim gold, while Malaysia’s Mohamad Syahmi Nor Ghazali settled for silver and Vietnam’s Xuan Dung Tran secured the bronze.

Ando delivers lone gold as podium finishes come at a cost

Elreen Ando accounted for the Philippines’ lone gold medal in weightlifting after successfully defending her SEA Games crown in the women’s 63kg division earlier in the week. Her back-to-back titles reinforced her status as one of the country’s most reliable performers on the regional stage.

Albert Delos Santos added a silver medal in the men’s 71kg category, while Kristel Macrohon salvaged a bronze in the women’s 69kg division, giving the team its complete medal set despite falling short of its overall target.

Tokyo Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz, competing in the women’s 65kg class, narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth, underscoring the depth and competitiveness of the field in the biennial meet.

Macrohon fights through injury as PH output dips

Macrohon revealed that a lingering right quad injury, sustained during the World Championships in Forde, Norway last October, affected her performance throughout the competition. She recorded a 221 total but was unable to challenge Thailand’s Wongsing Phattharathida and Indonesia’s Afriza Indah for the top two spots.

Despite the setback, Macrohon expressed gratitude for still delivering a medal for the country, describing the bronze as hard-earned amid physical limitations.

The Philippines’ one-gold, one-silver, one-bronze output marked a dip from its 2-4-1 medal finish in the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, highlighting areas for rebuilding as the national program looks ahead to future international meets.