Albert Ian delos Santos captured the bronze medal in the men’s 70-kilogram weightlifting event at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, September 26.
The 20-year-old Filipino lifted a total of 324 kilograms, highlighted by a 141kg snatch and a 183kg clean and jerk at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center.
Delos Santos broke the junior world and junior Asian records in the clean and jerk and total lift. He shattered the clean and jerk mark twice in his final two attempts, successfully lifting 181kg before clearing 183kg.
His 324kg total placed him third in the nine-man field in his Asian Games debut.
North Korea’s Ri Won Ju claimed the gold medal with 349kg, including a world-record 198kg clean and jerk, while Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto settled for silver with 342kg.
Delos Santos entered the competition as one of the Philippines’ leading young weightlifters and was named one of the country’s two flag bearers, alongside Olympic boxing medalist Aira Villegas, for the Asian Games opening ceremony.
The bronze marks another record-setting performance for Delos Santos, who previously swept the three gold medals in the junior men’s 70kg division at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in August.
