Team Philippines could not have asked for a better opening day at the IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Cali, Colombia, with 15-year-old Alexsandra Ann Diaz delivering a historic performance that announced her arrival among the sport’s brightest young talents.
Competing in the newly introduced women’s 48-kilogram division, Diaz swept all three gold medals while rewriting the record books, giving the Philippine team an early boost in the prestigious international tournament.
The Zamboanga City standout, who is the niece of Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, successfully embraced the challenge of moving up in weight after previously competing in the lighter division. Her dominance was evident from start to finish as she posted lifts of 77 kilograms in the snatch, 98 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and 175 kilograms in total.
Those marks earned her gold medals in all three events while also establishing new world youth records in the clean and jerk and total lift. Diaz surpassed the previous world standards of 97 kilograms in the clean and jerk and 173 kilograms in total for the new 48kg weight class.
She came within touching distance of completing a sweep of all three world records, missing the snatch standard by just one kilogram after finishing with 77 kilograms.
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MANA KAY TITA HIDILYN
Alexsandra Diaz, the niece of Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn, set two new youth world records at the 2026 IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Colombia.
Diaz lifted 98kg in clean and jerk and 175kg total in the women’s 48kg class. (
: IWF) pic.twitter.com/1I8KuYUVDf
— Paige Javier (@PaigeJavier) July 6, 2026
The performance continues an impressive rise for Diaz, who captured the girls’ 45kg title at the 2025 World Youth Championships in Lima, Peru. In that tournament, she claimed gold in the snatch with 70 kilograms and total lift with 152 kilograms, while settling for bronze in the clean and jerk after lifting 82 kilograms.
Her transition to the heavier class has already paid dividends following her bronze-medal finish in the 48kg division at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.
Romania’s Adelina Lorint finished second in the women’s 48kg competition after recording 74 kilograms in the snatch, 90 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and 164 kilograms in total. Venezuela’s Valeria Osorio del Valle completed the podium with a 162-kilogram total to claim bronze.
The Philippines’ medal haul continued through Jay-R Colonia, who added another gold medal for the country in the men’s 56kg clean and jerk after successfully lifting 140 kilograms.
Colonia also secured two silver medals by registering 109 kilograms in the snatch and a 249-kilogram total, capping another strong international showing after winning bronze at the Bahrain Asian Youth Games.
Althea Bacaro likewise contributed to the Philippine campaign in the women’s 44kg division. She earned a silver medal in the clean and jerk with an 80-kilogram lift and took bronze in the total with 140 kilograms, built on a 60-kilogram snatch effort.
By the end of the opening day, the Philippines had collected four gold medals, along with multiple silver and bronze finishes, placing the national team in an excellent position as the World Youth Championships continue in Colombia. Diaz’s record-breaking performance, however, stood as the defining moment of the day, highlighting the emergence of another promising Filipino weightlifting star on the world stage.
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