Alexsandra Diaz wins three golds, breaks two records at the IWF Youth Worlds
Pinay weightlifter Alexsandra Ann Diaz made history after sweeping three gold medals and establishing two new youth world records at the 2026 IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championships held in Cali, Colombia.
The Zamboanga native posted a 77-kg lift in the snatch before breaking the youth world record in the clean and jerk with 98 kg, one kilogram higher than the previous record. Her combined total of 175 kg also set a new youth world record, surpassing the previous mark of 173 kg.
Meanwhile, Jay-R Colonia added another gold for the Philippines after topping the men's 56kg clean and jerk event with a 140kg lift. He also snagged silver medals in the snatch after lifting 109kg and in the total with 249kg.
Althea Bacarro collected a silver and a bronze in the women's 44kg division, finishing second in the clean and jerk with 80kg and third overall with a combined lift of 140kg.
Diaz is the niece of Olympian Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino to win Olympic gold in the women’s 55 kg weightlifting at Tokyo 2020.
Her journey began at eight years old when she was selected as one of the scholars for the Alsons Power Hidilyn Diaz Scholarship Program for Aspiring Weightlifters in 2018.
She made waves in 2023 by securing three medals at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in India.
Building on that momentum, the younger Diaz went on to claim a bronze medal at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, followed by a gold-medal performance at the 2025 IWF World Youth Championships in Peru.
Diaz will be competing at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal this October.
