Salvador Romualdo del Rosario, nicknamed The Mighty Mite, was a weightlifter who competed at the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. He was one of the country’s most accomplished weightlifters who competed in multiple world championships and won several medals and titles throughout his career.
Since the flyweight category was not contested in the Olympic weightlifting sports, it was decided that Salvador would compete in the Bantamweight category at the 1968 Summer Olympics but he unfortunately did not finish. He competed as a flyweight at the 1972 Summer Olympics but he was not able to finish. He competed again as a flyweight at the 1976 Summer and placed 9th out of 23 participants. Del Rosario was one of the first Filipinos to break the 700lb barrier in a strength sport. His best total was 322.5kg as 52kg lifter in the 1970 World Championships in Columbus, Ohio where he took home the gold. He won a total of 6 gold medals at the ASEAN Weightlifting Championship (1977, 1978, and 1981), a silver medal at the 9th SEA Games (1977), 2 gold medals and 1 bronze at the 10th SEA Games (1979), and a silver medal at the 11th SEA Games (1981). He won gold at the 1st Asian Championships (1970), RP-Korea Lift Tournament (1973), Inter-City Championship in Tokyo, Japan (1975), and the 12th Asian Championship (1980). He won silver at the 1965 Asian and World Championships and the 1970 Asian Games. He was the champion and most outstanding lifter at the 1978 Fil-American Weightlifting Championship and the jerk champion at the Invitational Games in Auckland, New Zealand in 1981.
Since the flyweight category was not contested in the Olympic weightlifting sports, it was decided that Salvador would compete in the Bantamweight category at the 1968 Summer Olympics but he unfortunately did not finish. He competed as a flyweight at the 1972 Summer Olympics but he was not able to finish. He competed again as a flyweight at the 1976 Summer and placed 9th out of 23 participants. Del Rosario was one of the first Filipinos to break the 700lb barrier in a strength sport. His best total was 322.5kg as 52kg lifter in the 1970 World Championships in Columbus, Ohio where he took home the gold. He won a total of 6 gold medals at the ASEAN Weightlifting Championship (1977, 1978, and 1981), a silver medal at the 9th SEA Games (1977), 2 gold medals and 1 bronze at the 10th SEA Games (1979), and a silver medal at the 11th SEA Games (1981). He won gold at the 1st Asian Championships (1970), RP-Korea Lift Tournament (1973), Inter-City Championship in Tokyo, Japan (1975), and the 12th Asian Championship (1980). He won silver at the 1965 Asian and World Championships and the 1970 Asian Games. He was the champion and most outstanding lifter at the 1978 Fil-American Weightlifting Championship and the jerk champion at the Invitational Games in Auckland, New Zealand in 1981.
GAMES
1968 Summer Olympics, Mexico City
1972 Summer Olympics, Munich
1976 Summer Olympics, Montreal
1972 Summer Olympics, Munich
1976 Summer Olympics, Montreal