Diaz books 3rd consecutive Olympic stint
HURDLER Eric Cray will no longer embark on a lonely trip to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Lifter Hidilyn Diaz will keep him company after the 24-year-old pride of Zamboanga City booked a ticket to the quadrennial Summer Games, Philippine Sports Commission Chair Richie Garcia confirmed yesterday.
Diaz will be on her third consecutive Olympics after earning a wild-card berth in 2008 Beijing and qualifying through the rankings in 2012 London.
Garcia said he received the news from the Philippine Weightlifting Association and lifting coach Elbert Atilano, who accompanied Diaz to the world championships in Houston, Texas, last month.
“We’re proud to have Hidilyn competing in the Olympics for the third straight time,” said Garcia.
Atilano said Diaz clinched the Olympic berth after scooping three bronze medals in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championship in Houston.
She lifted 96 kilograms in the snatch and 117 in the clean and jerk for a 213 total in the women’s 53 kg division, good for third place in the three events behind champion Hsu Shu-ching of Chinese Taipei and silver medalist Chen Xiaoting of China.
Next year’s Asian championship will be held in Uzbekistan, where male lifter Nestor Colonia will also gun for an Olympic slot.