RP teen lifter Llena bags Youth Olympics berth

Teenage lifter Patricia Llena became the first Filipino athlete, in an individual event, to qualify in the 1st Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore after scooping up three bronze medals in the recent Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Llena joins the RP Youth 3-on-3 boys’ basketball team, whose spot in the Singapore YOG was confirmed by FIBA, in the August 14 to 26 Games for athletes 17 years old and below.

The Asian tournament, held from April 10 to 14 at the Uzbek capital, is a YOG qualifier where the top three finishers in all weight classes – in the boys and girls division – earn slots in the Youth Olympics. Llena, 16, placed third in the 63 kilogram class in the Asian tilt. She collected the bronze medals in the snatch (80kg) and clean and jerk (101kg) for a total lift of 181kg. "(Patricia) was officially recognized as a Philippine entry to the Youth Olympics when her name was announced during the awarding ceremony," said the lady lifter’s trainer/father Leonard who accompanied her in the week-long tournament. "Masaya dahil nabigyan ko ng karangalan ang bansa (I’m happy to again bring honor to our country)," said Llena, who won three gold medals in the 2009 World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships held in San Paulo, Brazil. The San Antonio, Nueva Ecija born Llena also placed 10th in the World Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship in Chang Mai, Thailand last year. Llena is busy training for the Youth Olympics with his father, who is also a former National lifter. The Llenas are geared towards winning gold for the Philippines in the Singapore YOG. “Anything can happen in a tournament. Competition is strong in the Youth Olympics but we are eyeing a medal of any color. You can count on Patricia to give her best," said the elder Llena. Llena is also set to compete in the Asian Powerlifting Championships where she joins the National lifters in the May 1 to 6 tournament at the Central Palace of Art and Culture in Ulan Batar, Mongolia. – GMANews.TV