DIAZ SETS SIGHTS ON OLYMPIC GOLD
FILIPINO weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz might have missed the podium but she officially qualified for the Tokyo Olympics when she competed in the Asian Weightlifting
Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Sunday evening. Diaz finished at fourth with a total of 212 kilograms lifted but it hardly mattered as her mere participation in the tilt was enough to punch her ticket to the Games. The 30-year-old Diaz competed in her sixth Olympic qualifying tournament — the minimum number of competitions a worldranked weightlifter must join in to qualify for the one-year delayed Olympics. Diaz is ranked no. 2 in the Women's 55-kilogram category.
Diaz's best lift in snatch was 94 kg and 118 kg in clean and jerk.
The pride of Zamboanga City became the seventh Filipino athlete to qualify for the Olympics, joining boxers Eumir Marcial, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno, pole vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo.
The 2021 Olympics in July will be Diaz’s fourth and perhaps, last Olympic stint as she competed in the 2008, 2012 and the 2016 editions of the quadrennial event, which was delayed for one year this time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With this, Diaz became the first Filipino athlete to qualify in four editions of the Olympics.
The other Pinoy athletes with multiple Olympic appearances were Art Macapagal (1972, 1976), Elma Muros (1984, 1996) Lydia de Vega (1984, 1988), Donald Geisler (2000, 2004) and Tsomlee Go (2004, 2008).