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Tag: Albert Delos Santos

  • Albert Delos Santos completes golden sweep as Philippine lifters dominate in Tashkent 

    Albert Delos Santos completes golden sweep as Philippine lifters dominate in Tashkent 

    The Philippines is building serious momentum in Asian weightlifting, and 19-year-old Albert Delos Santos is proving to be one of the country’s brightest young stars.

     

    Delos Santos delivered a golden sweep for the Philippines in the men’s 70kg junior category at the 2026 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, securing gold in all three events on Tuesday.

     

    The Filipino lifter topped the snatch with 141kg before dominating the clean and jerk at 180kg. His combined effort of 321kg also gave him the gold in the total, completing a three-medal haul in his division.


    But beyond the three gold medals, Delos Santos finally conquered one of the few targets that had escaped him.

     

    The snatch gold was his first at this level, giving an extra layer of significance to an already impressive performance.

     

    Delos Santos entered the competition with plenty of momentum after making headlines at the 2026 IWF World Junior Weightlifting Championships in Ismaila, Egypt, last May. There, he shattered the world junior record in the clean and jerk by lifting 187kg.

     

    His latest performance now adds another milestone to what is quickly becoming a promising international career.

     

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    Delos Santos will not have to wait long for another major test as he is set to compete at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, next month, giving him an opportunity to carry his growing confidence onto an even bigger stage.

     

    He was not the only Filipino lifter to shine in Tashkent as Jhodie Peralta also produced a strong medal haul in the Youth Women’s 53kg division, collecting two gold medals and one silver. She won the snatch with an 86kg lift and followed that with a 102kg silver-medal performance in the clean and jerk. Her 188kg total was enough to put her back on top of the podium.

     

    The Philippines continued to pile up medals across several weight classe with Hidilyn Diaz’s niece, Alexsandra Diaz, swept the women’s 49kg category with three gold medals. She registered 77kg in the snatch, 92kg in the clean and jerk and 169kg in the total.

     

    Jerick Icon Castro matched that three-gold performance in the men’s 60kg class, lifting 116kg in the snatch and 144kg in the clean and jerk for a winning total of 260kg.

     

    Althea Bacaro added two gold medals in the Youth Women’s 45kg division, topping the clean and jerk with 83kg and finishing with a 146kg total.

     

    Prince Kiel Delos Santos also claimed gold in the men’s 60kg division after recording a 120kg snatch, while Angeline Colonia contributed another gold with her 80kg snatch in the women’s 49kg category.

     

    Together, the young Filipino lifters have turned the Tashkent championships into a showcase of the country’s depth in the sport.

     

    The Philippines leads both the Youth and Junior categories with an impressive 16 gold, six silver and nine bronze medals.

     

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  • Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo sees future of Philippine weightlifting in record-breaking junior champion Albert Delos Santos 

    Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo sees future of Philippine weightlifting in record-breaking junior champion Albert Delos Santos 

    Long before Albert Ian Delos Santos emerged as a world junior champion, Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo already believed he could become one of the faces of Philippine weightlifting’s future.


    Now, after the 19-year-old delivered a gold medal and another world junior record at the IWF Junior World Championships, Diaz-Naranjo’s belief appears to be turning into reality.

     

    The young Filipino lifter stunned the international field after clearing 187kg in the clean and jerk event, breaking his own junior world record and securing the gold medal in a breakthrough moment for Philippine weightlifting.

     

    For Diaz-Naranjo, the victory represented more than another medal for the country. It was a glimpse of what could be the next era of Filipino excellence in the sport she once carried to historic heights at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

     

    The Olympic champion has closely followed Delos Santos’ rise over the past few years. During the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, where the Zamboanga City native won silver in the men’s 71kg division and established a junior world record of 186kg, Diaz-Naranjo was already among those proudly supporting him from the sidelines.

     

    At that same tournament, she openly described Delos Santos as the future of Philippine weightlifting.

     

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    Earlier this month, Diaz-Naranjo traveled to Egypt as part of the IWF Athlete Commission, but even while carrying official duties, she made time to personally support the young Filipino standout during the competition.

     

    It became an emotional experience for the 35-year-old Olympian, especially since her husband and longtime coach, Julius Naranjo, also serves as one of Delos Santos’ mentors alongside his mother, Diwa.

     

    “I was there and siyempre sobrang saya ako as a gold medalist. Tapos makita ko na, wow, in person na nakita ko na si Ian nag-break ng record ng world junior,” Diaz-Naranjo said.

     

    Diaz-Naranjo expressed pride in the achievement, noting that winning medals at the youth and junior levels was tough during their time, making it even more meaningful that Delos Santos has now established a record of his own.

     

    “Kasi kahit natapos na, matatapos this year ang pagiging junior niya, pero iniwan niya yung record ng Pilipinas doon. Pangalan niya at sa kasama din ng picture ng tatay niya, nakakaiyak at nakakaproud siya,” Diaz-Naranjo added.

     

    For Delos Santos, the support from the Naranjo couple remains surreal. Like many young Filipino athletes, he grew up inspired by Diaz-Naranjo’s historic Olympic triumph, which forever changed the landscape of Philippine sports.

     

    But while Delos Santos has already conquered the junior stage, Diaz-Naranjo believes the bigger challenge is only beginning.

     

    The Olympic gold medalist said she hopes to eventually see the rising star compete at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, though she stressed that consistent support will be crucial in helping him qualify.

     

    With records already falling at just 19 years old, Delos Santos is beginning to carry not only medals for the Philippines, but also the expectations of a new Olympic generation.

     

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