Vanessa Sarno is determined to approach her next Olympic bid with the right team and a conducive environment.
The 20-year-old weightlifter expressed her plan after her uneventful debut in the Paris Olympics, where she struggled in the women’s 71kg event, failing to lift 100kg in three attempts—well below her personal best of 108kg, which is the national record.
Sarno’s challenges began during her training at the Metz camp, where her personal coach, Richard “Pep” Agosto, was not present to guide and motivate her. “I’m comfortable with him. He knows me, understands what’s going on in my mind,” Sarno shared.
Instead, Sarno was assigned coach Nicholas Jaluag, a change that disrupted her preparation and affected her mental state leading up to the competition. “When I left Manila, it became really tough for me. My mentality weakened, and I wanted to give up. The environment felt toxic like they didn’t want me there,” Sarno explained.
After her unexpected performance, Sarno apologized and opened up about the difficulties she faced, particularly the lack of alignment with Jaluag. Fortunately, the Philippine Olympic Committee intervened, and Agosto rejoined her, renewing the two-year mentoring relationship that had been crucial to her development.
“I know her emotionally. She’s been with me for two years. She sees me as a father figure, and I’ve even sought sponsors to help treat her injuries,” said Agosto, who had helped Sarno through a challenging hand injury. Peter Atencio
Sarno acknowledged the profound impact of her time with Agosto on her career, especially in securing her Olympic qualification. “Those two years with him had a big impact on my qualifying for the Olympics. He was there during my first qualifying event, and even with my injury, he helped me through the toughest times,” Sarno added.
Now, Sarno is looking ahead, determined to learn from this experience and aim for Olympic success in Los Angeles four years from now—this time, with the right support system in place.
