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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