Filipina weightlifter Elreen Ando celebrates after a good lift in the women's 63kg class in the weightlifting competition of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, December 15, 2025 at the Chonburi Sports School in Chonburi, Thailand. POC Media
Two-time Olympian Elreen Ando dominated the field en route to the Philippines' first weightlifting gold medal in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.
Ando totaled 229kg in the women's 63kg class on Monday afternoon at the Chonburi Sports School in Chonburi, Thailand, where she was a cut above the competition.
The 27-year-old Ando completed all three of her lifts in the snatch, including a final attempt of 102kg, to build a lead of four kilograms over her nearest competitor -- Thailand's Thanaporn Saetia.
Ando no-lifted in her first attempt at 123kg in the clean and jerk, but got it done in her second try before lifting 127kg in her last attempt.
Her total of 229kg was 10 kilograms heavier than the silver medalist, Vietnam's Thi Thuy Tien Nguyen (98kg in snatch, 121kg in clean and jerk).
Saetia settled for bronze with a total of 218kg (98 snatch, 120 clean and jerk).
Ando's gold comes after 19-year-old Albert Ian delos Santos claimed the Philippines' first weightlifting medal on Sunday -- a silver in the men's 71kg class.
This is Ando's second SEA Games gold in her career, having also topped the podium in the 59kg class in 2023 in Cambodia. She also has a pair of silvers from 2019 and 2021.