After failing to lift 125kg in snatch, John Ceniza closed his Paris 2024 campaign earlier than expected.
Filipino weightlifter John Ceniza exited the Paris Olympics earlier than expected.
Making his Olympic debut in the men’s 61kg weightlifting event earlier today, the Cebuano weightlifter was unable to lift 125kg across his three attempts in snatch. This ultimately cut his campaign short, as this had been marked as a DNF (did not finish) for the event.
This result may have shocked Filipino fans familiar with Ceniza’s game, as lifting 125kg is well within his capability. In fact, he lifted 132kg in snatch and 168kg in clean and jerk to qualify for his slot in the Paris Olympics and maintain his position in the top 10 in the rankings of his weight division.
Ceniza was visibly disappointed after his third failed attempt at 125kg in Paris. However, this still marks a huge milestone for the athlete, who represented the Philippines on the Olympic stage for the first time in his career.
The 26-year-old also already has a number of notable achievements as a weightlifter. He is a two-time Southeast Asian Games silver medalist, and he also won a bronze medal in the 2020 IWF World Cup in Rome, where he lifted a total of 269kg.
Banner image from Weightlifting House on Instagram.