PARIS — Vanessa Sarno's hopes for an Olympic medal in weightlifting were dashed early Saturday at the South Paris Arena, as she failed to secure a successful lift in the women's 71kg category. Meanwhile, golfer Bianca Pagdanganan faced setbacks in her pursuit of a medal in the women's golf event at Le Golf National.
According to Philippines News Agency, Sarno, a 20-year-old weightlifting prodigy, was unable to complete any of her three attempts at lifting 100 kg in the snatch portion. Her elimination marked a significant disappointment for the Philippine team, which will now leave the Olympics without a medal for the first time since 2012. The failure comes despite earlier successes from other athletes, including two gold medals from gymnast Carlos Yulo and bronzes from boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas.
In golf, Pagdanganan, who entered the third round just two strokes off third place, faltered with a one-over-par 73. Her performance included bogeys on Holes 12 and 17, leaving her tied for 13th place at two-under-par 214 alongside competitors from Canada, Germany, and Slovenia. The golfer now needs a strong final round to have a chance at reaching the podium, while leaders like Morgane Metraux of Switzerland and Lydia Ko of New Zealand are tied at nine-under-par 207.
In the weightlifting event, American Olivia Reeves clinched a gold medal, breaking a 24-year drought for the U.S. in the sport. Reeves set a new Olympic record in the snatch with a lift of 117 kg, surpassing the previous record held jointly with Romania's Loredana Toma and Angie Palacios of Ecuador.