NATIONAL champion Lucas Lorenzo added one more silver medal for the Philippines in the prestigious 2011 World Junior & Sub-Junior Powerlifting Championships being held in Moose Jaw, Canada.
Lorenzo, 18, lifted 396 pounds to place second in bench press of the boys’ 93-kilogram weight class. American Justin Duran won the gold medal with his 418-pound performance while Russian Filipp Perunov settled for bronze by scoring 374 pounds.
“Duran was eventually successful with 435, leaving Lorenzo to try to increase his lift to 418 since his 396 was already an Asian Sub-Junior record. Lorenzo’s form, however, got a little off so his 418 was not completed successfully. But Lorenzo’s 396 remained well above Perunov to formalize his silver medal win,” coach Eddie Torres explained.
It was the second silver medal of the squad after Regie Ramirez grabbed the first in the boys’ 53-kilogram division of the tournament participated in by 294 athletes from 28 countries.
“I was very nervous but I was too confident that I could lift it based on my previous performances. It was a huge achievement for me,” said Lorenzo, who also clinched silver medal in the 2010 Asian Sub-Junior Bench Press Championships.
Not as fortunate was Clark Cruz who wound up fourth in the deadlift event of the boys’ 74-kilogram category.
Asian Sub-Junior Bench Press Raymond Debuque is the last Filipino entry to see action as he competes in the boys’ 120kg class.
