Rose Jean Ramos opened the Philippines’ Olympic weightlifting qualifying campaign with a bronze medal at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships on Tuesday at the Ningbo Olympic Center in China.
The 20-year-old Ramos, younger sister of national weightlifter Rosegie, placed third in the women’s 49-kg snatch with an 86-kg lift.
North Korea’s Ri Song Gum swept the gold medals in snatch (92 kg), clean and jerk (119 kg), and total (211 kg). China’s Zhao Jinhong took all three silver medals with 91 kg in snatch, 116 kg in clean and jerk, and a 207-kg total.
Ramos placed ninth in clean and jerk with 92 kg and fifth overall with a total of 181 kg.
Although the women’s 49-kg division is not an Olympic weight class for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Ramos can carry her accumulated ranking points to the Olympic 53-kg division.
Asian Games bronze medalist Albert Ian de los Santos will compete in the non-Olympic men’s 70-kg division on Friday. His ranking points can count toward the Olympic 75-kg category, provided he meets the qualification requirements.
‘They must compete in at least five Olympic qualifying events. If they compete in a non-Olympic weight class, they can carry their ranking points once they compete in an Olympic weight class,’ Coach Allen Diaz told the BusinessMirror on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles 2028 qualifying program features six weight classes each for men and women. The men’s divisions are 65 kg, 75 kg, 85 kg, 95 kg, 110 kg, and +110 kg, while the women’s are 53 kg, 61 kg, 69 kg, 77 kg, 86 kg, and +86 kg.
Unlike the Paris Games, where the top 10 athletes in each weight class earned qualification slots, Los Angeles 2028 will offer slots to only the top eight.
Two-time Olympian Elreen Ann Ando will compete in the women’s 61-kg division on Saturday. Rosegie Ramos is scheduled to compete in the 53-kg division on Thursday, while Kristel Macrohon will see action in the 69-kg division next week.