HANGZHOU — Asian Weightlifting Junior Champion Vanessa Sarno refused to be bothered by a recent elbow injury and a higher weight category in the 19th Asian Games.

“Okay naman ang elbow ko. Nagre-recover naman, at pabalik na ulit ako sa training,” said Sarno before the weightlifting team headed for China to compete in the Asiad.

The 19-year-old Sarno said she had enough time to bounce back after hurting her left elbow in the IWF World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last week, where she withdrew from the snatch event.

A Southeast Asian Games, Asian and world junior champion from Tagbilaran, Bohol, Sarno won’t be seeing action in the shelved women’s 71-kg class. Instead, she will move up to 76 kgs.

“Hindi mahirap mag-adjust sa weight class dahil hindi naman siya catchweight,” she added. Sarno failed to complete her clean and jerk attempts in the Saudi meet after making a mistake with her lift during one of her preparations in the women’s 71kg division.

Before competing in Saudi Arabia, Sarno swept all three gold medals in the World Juniors Championships in New Delhi, India.

Sarno also won the women’s 71-kg. gold in record fashion in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games weightlifting competitions, thereby earning her accolades as one of Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz’s successors.