Salvador del Rosario Angeline Dumapong
Rodrigo del Rosario Antonio Taguibao
Salvador del Rosario, a nephew of Olympian Rodrigo del Rosario, was declared the
world's strongest man in the flyweight division when he plucked a gold medal in
the World Weightlifting Championships held in Columbus, Ohio, USA in 1970. Del
Rosario actually won the title by technicality because three of his top rivals
were disqualified for using illegal drugs.
Angeline Dumapong gave the country its first medal in the Paralympic Games when
she lifted 110 kilograms to win the bronze in the women's 82.5-kilogram division
in Sydney, Australia in December 2000. Paralympics is a major sports competition
participated in by differently-abled athletes from around the world and held
just after the Olympics. Before this, Dumapong won gold medals at the Malaysia
Paralympiad and the Asian Millennium Bench Press tournaments. She is from Ifugao
province.
Antonio Taguibao, a member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) with the
rank of lieutenant colonel, is a three-time World Masters champion in
powerlifting at the 52-kilogram class. Taguibao won the title in 2000, 2001 and
2002. In the World Masters Powerlifting Championship held in Villa Maria,
Argentina in October 2002, Taguibao actually won three gold medals and a silver
medal by lifting a total of 963 pounds.
Among other Filipino weightlifters who have gained international exposure
include Aurelio Amante, Rodolfo Caparas, Pedro Landero, Erlina Pecante, and
Eddie Torres.
