Hidilyn Diaz: I need to be stronger
WEIGHTLIFTER Hidilyn Diaz was the Philippines top bet to break its Olympic gold medal drought at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Despite the immense pressure and the lofty expectations, Diaz, all 4-foot-11 of her, rose to the occasion and won the Philippines its first gold medal in Tokyo.
Now, gunning for a Philippine record of fifth straight Olympic appearance at the Paris Games this July, Diaz said the pressure and the weight of expectations placed upon her just got heavier.
It’s the price she has to pay for seizing the gold in Tokyo and for being an athlete in general.
“It’s really hard for me because I just won the first medal, a gold medal for the Philippines, and everyone expects me to win again, so I’m here doing my best and competing for the Philippines,” said Diaz, a “Flame Awardee” in the first-ever Women in Sports Awards night held last Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The 33-year-old Diaz said that she needs to be stronger than ever before if she is to make her fifth straight Olympic appearance and give herself a shot of snaring another gold in Paris.
Diaz now competes in the 59-kilogram (kg) division after the 55-kg class where she won the gold in Tokyo got scrapped.
“Qualifying for the Olympics is hard because it comes with the pressure and expectations around you. I can’t just exert the same effort I did in Tokyo 2020, I need to surpass it, I need to be stronger because the competition is tougher, but despite the difficulty, I’m pushing forward. I will do my best for the country. I’m here for a purpose.”
Diaz, also a Rio Olympics silver medalist, is on pace to qualify for the Paris Games.
The only Filipino athlete with the distinction of being a champion in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, World Championships and the Olympics, Diaz just needs to stay in the top 10 weightlifters of her class after the last Olympic qualifier this April 2-11 in Phuket, Thailand.
She’s currently No. 8 after the first four qualifiers and a respectable performance in the fifth would enable her to seal her Olympic spot.
“I will have my last Olympic qualifier on April 3. It’s really hard. I have to stop again, stop everything, to focus but that’s preparation, that’s sports, you have to be willing to give everything and focus on the goal which is [in my case] the Paris Olympics,” said Diaz.