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Hidilyn Diaz changed everything for Filipino weightlifting when she won gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
Her historic gold medal, the country's first across all sports since the Philippines first partook at the Games in 2024, massively expanded both awareness of and funding for weightlifting in the Philippines.
But that was five years ago.
Diaz is now retired. A new crop of weightlifters must capitalize on the momentum she built. That work falls, in part, to Albert Ian Delos Santos. Albert and coach Julius Naranjo, who guided Diaz to the top of the podium in Tokyo.
The pair arrive in Ningbo, China, for the 2026 World Weightlifting Championships to begin the next Olympic qualification on a high note.
Weightlifting House
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Albert Ian Delos Santos
Below is our interview with Filipino weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos and his coach Julius Naranjo. This interview was conducted before and during the 2026 World Weightlifting Championships and has been edited for clarity.
Weightlifting House (WH): How do you change your coaching strategy to suit the needs of the athlete?
Julius Naranjo (JN): "A lot of people don't recognize the mental part of the game. Collaboration between the younger and older generations of coaches can really be the determining factor in meeting the needs of the athlete, especially in this day and age.
We also can't expect them to perform at their best every single day. Being able to compromise and encourage them to focus on the things they can control makes a world of difference."
WH: Do you encourage competition between your athletes?
JN: "I think every athlete benefits by training with someone better than them. It's something inherent to training at the elite level, but doesn't always work at the grassroots level. Sometimes, young athletes aren't as resilient as we think, but influencing them to push each other can really improve the quality of a training session."
WH: Did you recognize Albert's potential from the beginning?
JN: "I met Albert when he was 15. I used to coach his older sister. From day one, I could see his potential, especially since he's the child of two national-level weightlifters here in the Philippines. His father was a gold medalist at the Southeast Asian Games and an esteemed national coach."
WH: Does the government effectively support weightlifting in the Philippines?
JN: "It's controversial. The government is supportive to the best of its ability. Our federation must negotiate with the sports commission to establish a budget, which is where friction tends to happen. But all said, ever since Hidilyn Diaz won the Olympics, we've received more support than ever before."
WH: Do you remember your first day of weighltifting?
Albert Ian Delos Santos (ADS): "I don't particularly remember. I was in the gym throughout my childhood. It's felt like I was born into this life."
WH: How did you feel at your first international competition?
ADS: "It was quite overwhelming, but exciting, and the first time I'd traveled internationally. I went to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the 2021 Youth World Championships.
I didn't expect much from myself, but seeing Hampton Morris break a Youth world record was the kicker for me. I wanted to be like him and other great weightlifters. I wanted to break records, win medals, and follow in the footsteps of my idols."
WH: Are people in your life supportive of your weightlifting career?
ADS: "Absolutely. Both my parents and my sister were weightlifters. It's been the family trade—my Mom and Dad actually met through being on the national team. Weightlifting has opened up opportunities for my family we otherwise wouldn't have, such as school scholarships."
WH: How do you feel about your chances of winning a medal at the 2026 World Championships?
ADS: "I don't want to expect too much. I'm just here to have fun and embrace the pressure. I enjoy the intense spirit of competition around me."
WH: What's it like having Julius as a coach?
ADS: "It's been great. Hidilyn Diaz is my idol, so getting to train alongside her when I was a Youth athlete changed everything for me. She and Juls have improved my snatch technique so much, even back when we started and I was being coached remotely.
Juls is a great role model. He's like an older brother to me. My Mom and late father put a lot of trust in him after seeing how much progress I made in 2022."
WH: How do you feel about the new weight classes?
ADS: "It'll be a challenge, to be honest. I'm not expecting immediate progress. I'll be at the bottom of the 75s, but as long as there's a chance for me to win, I'll take it, even if I can't medal in competitions for a while.
I want to be better and make my father proud. I'll fight until the very end."
