LE GOLF NATIONAL, PARIS — Filipino golfer Bianca Pagdanganan remains a strong contender for a medal in women’s golf at the Paris Olympics after an impressive second round performance on Thursday. Pagdanganan, who opened with an even-par, shot a three-under 69 to elevate herself into a six-way tie for sixth place. Meanwhile, in weightlifting, Elreen Ando narrowly missed a podium finish, securing sixth place in a tightly contested women's 59kg event at South Paris Arena.
According to Philippines News Agency, Pagdanganan's score of 141 ties her with several others including the previous leader, Celine Boutier, who experienced a significant setback during the round. Boutier recorded a four-over-par 76 after bogeying three consecutive holes and scoring double bogeys on the 13th and 15th holes. On the other hand, Morgane Metraux of Switzerland emerged as the new leader, finishing the day at eight-under 136, bolstered by a phenomenal front nine featuring two eagles.
In the highly competitive field, Yin Ruoning of China ascended to second place with a total of seven-under 137, while New Zealand’s Lydia Ko secured third place at five-under 139. Close behind were Mariajo Uribe and Pia Babnik, setting the stage for a challenging next round.
In weightlifting, Ando tied her personal best in the snatch at 100kg and set a new personal record in the clean-and-jerk with a lift of 130kg. Her total of 230kg initially tied her for fourth place, but the tiebreaker rules placed her in sixth. The gold medal went to China's Luo Shifang, who set a new Olympic record with a total of 241kg, including record-setting lifts in both the snatch and clean-and-jerk phases.
Pagdanganan aims to maintain her strong performance in the remaining two rounds over the weekend, as her compatriot Vanessa Sarno prepares to compete in the women’s 71kg weightlifting category early Saturday.