Experience and youth to storm weightlifting platform

The NMI National Weightlifting Team is enroute to Majuro, Marshall Islands for the 2024 Micronesian Games.

Their athletes—a mix of experience and youth—is set to take on the weightlifting platform and bring home some medals.

Veteran NMI weightlifters are Team NMI’s flagbearer Antonette Labausa, Riella Ichiuo, and Leowell Cristobal, while up-and-coming weightlifters are Kaya Rasa, Jaden Andrew, Lucio Eugenio, and Joseph Pangelinan. They are coached by NMI Weightlifting Federation president John Davis.

Davis said of the team, “I like our chances—we will bring home some medals—maybe not as many as the past, but some.”

“Our new guys are going to be a part of that medal count—I think. There might be some bronze and maybe even some silver—we’ll see,” he said.

As for how the team was selected, he said they invited them to train in their training center inside the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. “We gave them a look over and if they lifted enough weight and looked good doing it, we invited them to work on the team,” he said.

Davis said that their youngest lifter are both Andrew and Eugenio. Andrew has some international competition experience, while it’s Eugenio’s first time. He said he’ll see how both will do and if competing in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau is in their future.

With Labausa selected as Team NMI’s flagbearer, Davis said, “it was past due. She should’ve been flagbearer when we went to the Solomons for the Pacific Games. You heard all of that stuff they said about the medals and competitions she’s won? Nobody else here can match her record. She’s been there internationally, so I think it’s beyond time.”

Labausa’s weightlifting achievements include three gold medals in the 2018 Micronesian Games, three silver medals in the 2022 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games, silver in the 2022 Oceania Champs, gold in the 2023 Guam National Championships, gold in the 2023 Marianas Cup, and recently, a bronze medal in the 2024 Oceania Championships.

For Cristobal, he recently won bronze in the 2024 Oceania Senior, Junior, and Youth Championships, bronze in the 2023 Pacific Games, silver in the 2022 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games, gold in the Crestview Bar Slam, among others.

While Riella won bronze in the 2022 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games and silver in the 2nd Marianas Cup in 2021.

The weightlifting competition in the Games is set on Monday, June 17, and Tuesday, June 18.