Herculean feats: Powerlifters scoop glory in world meets

With a generally lean built, Filipinos are not really known to possess tremendous strength. But in 2009, powerlifters proved that Pinoys can be “strong men and women," scooping up top podium finishes in various tournaments around the world.

A girl, 15-year-old Patricia Llena actually started off the Herculean feats with three gold-medals and a bronze in the 2009 World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil last September. Fresh from setting three new RP records in the National Powerlifting Championships, Llena extended her brilliance in the world meet – her first international tournament – as she outclassed her five rivals in the women’s J18 60-kg division with golden lifts of 170kgs both in the squad and deadlift (340kgs). The pride of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija’s 80kg effort in the bench press was only good for third place but it was enough to reset the Asian Sub-junior mark. She had a total lift of 420kgs for another golden feat. Not to be outdone were veterans Rafael Enrique “Richie" Rosales , who posted a historic win at the 2009 World Open Powerlifting Championships in New Delhi, and Erlinda Pecante and Antonio Taguibao , who carried the Philippines to seven golds, four silvers and one bronze in the 2009 World Masters Powerlifting Championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Determined to rebound from a disappointing third-place finish and coming back from neck and back injuries sustained in a car crash last year, Rosales made a lift of 225 kgs to beat Ukrainians Andriy Naniev (220 kgs) and Vlodymir Rysev (215 kgs) for the gold in the men’s -82.5 kg competitions. The 32-year-old Rosales thus won the first gold for a Filipino powerlifter in the tough world meet that drew competitors from over 30 countries. Sharing the limelight was Pecante, who showed why she’s largely considered the Philippines’ strongest woman by bagging her fifth straight world title and sixth overall. Pecante swept the golds at stake in the 90-kg Masters I division with a golden 200 kgs in squat, 112.5 kgs in bench press, and 190 kgs in deadlift for a division-best 502.5 kgs total lift. For his part, Taguibao dominated the men’s 56-kg Master I events for his sixth world title overall. Taguibao made gold-winning lifts of 177.5 kgs in squat, 180kgs in deadlift and 445 kgs in total. He fell short of a fourth gold as his 87.5 kg effort in the bench press was only good for second. Truly, it was a strong year for Philippine powerlifting, thanks to the Herculean efforts from world class lifters Llena, Rosales, Pecante and Taguibao. – Olmin R. Leyba, GMANews.TV