Veronica “Nica” Ompod continues her winning run in powerlifting, snagging two golds and a special citation in the recently concluded Luzon International Powerlifting Championships in Malabon City.
Ompod, who hails from Matag-ob, Leyte collected the gold medals in the 47kgs category of the Juniors and College divisions, respectively. She was also hailed as the Best College Lifter in the tournament.
Representing Team Zest and Jose Rizal University, she managed a total lift of 327.5 kilograms. Although it was below her personal best of 348kg, it was good enough to overwhelm her opponents in the games participated by almost a hundred powerlifters.
Nica once played for Region 8 in several Palarong Pambansa. She is one of the outstanding products of the Leyte Sports Academy. After her LSA days, he enrolled at JRU where she is taking up BS-Criminology. The young Leytena went on to become one of the big names in powerlifting competitions around the globe.
Among the highlights of her career was the top podium finish she earned during the 2015 World Classic Championships in Texas, USA. She also pocketed a silver at the Asian Championships in Hongkong on the same year. She clinched three silvers and a bronze in the 2019 World Junior and Sub-Juniors Powerlifting tilt in Regina Canada. She followed it up with three silvers during the Worlds Classic Powerlifting in Calgary in the same year.
Last October, Ompod harvested a gold and a silver in the National Championships in Katipunan, where she was also adjudged as the best lifter. Currently, Nica is is undergoing intense build-up for the this year’s editions of the Asian Championhips in April and the World Juniors and Sub-Juniors games. (KEVIN SIOSANA)
