Elreen Ando finishes ninth at IWF World Championships
Filipina weightlifter Elreen Ando competes in the women’s 61kg final in the 2026 Asian Games, September 25, 2026. POC MediaMANILA — Two-time Olympian Elreen Ando battled back from a shaky start to finish ninth in the women’s 61kg division at the 2026 IWF World Championships in Ningbo, China.
Ando, who is celebrating her 28th birthday today, was visibly frustrated as she struggled at the start of the competition.
The pride of Cebu City was unable to lift 99kg in her first two attempts in the snatch. Ando eventually successfully hoisted 99kg on her third and final attempt, ranking 13 in the snatch.
The two-time Olympian looked more confident in the clean and jerk, starting with a good lift of 125kg on her first attempt.
Ando was also successful on her next lift of 128kg, but failed to hoist 131kg on her third and final attempt.
The 28-year-old finished with a total of 227kg, good for ninth in the final rankings.
Ando’s 227kg total was still a better result than her 20th Asian Games performance, where she finished with a 224kg total built on a 101kg snatch and a 123kg clean-and-jerk.
China’s Pei Xinyi won gold with a total of 254kg, while her compatriot and 2026 Asiad gold medalist Yang Liuyue took home silver with a 249kg result.
Park Jin Hae, the 2026 Asiad silver medalist, clinched bronze after lifting a 243kg total.
On the way to the gold, Pei broke four world records in the clean and jerk (140kg and 142kg) and total (252kg and 254kg).
The previous records were set by Yang and Park at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya last September.
Kristel Macrohon is the remaining weightlifter competing for the Philippines in the IWF World Championships. She will see action in the women’s 69kg division on November 3 at 4 p.m.
The Philippines has two bronze medals so far in the tournament from siblings Rose Jean and Rosegie Ramos.