Diaz off today for pre-games camp
Like the rest of her teammates in the 11-member Team Philippines to the Olympic Games, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz is unfazed by the opposition, exuding confidence as she gears up for her second foray into the world’s greatest sporting show.
In her heart, Diaz believes she can do a lot better this time.
“I’ve worked hard to get this far. I’m ready to compete,” said Diaz in Filipino on the eve of her departure for London to join some of her teammates in a training camp leading to the 30th edition of the Summer Games.
“You can never tell. My coach and I spent a lot of time and effort to make it here. I know I will perform better this time,” added the Zamboanga City native.
One of seven children by a tricycle driver, who took up the sport at age 11, Diaz leaves tonight for Hong Kong en route to London on board a Cathay Pacific plane, accompanied by long-time coach Tony Agustin.
She’s availing herself of a free training camp introduced for the first time in the Olympics and will join swimmers Jasmine Alkahldi and Jessie Khing Lacuna and shooter Brian Rosario who made up the first group of Filipino athletes to leave for the camp to be held in world class facilities.
Team Phl chief of mission Manny Lopez has kind words for Hidilyn.
“I saw in Hidilyn the will to succeed and become big in her sport. I hope she’ll reap the rewards of her no-nonsense buildup,” said Lopez during the send-off party accorded to the Olympic team early in the week.
Four years ago, Diaz carried the national colors in the Beijing Olympics where she wound up 11th in a field of 12 with a lift of 85 in the snatch and 107 in the clean and jerk for a 192 total, a far cry from the winning effort of 244 of China’s Chen Yanquing.
Set to compete in the 58kg division, Diaz made it to the Olympics for the second straight time following strong showings in a pair of qualifying tournaments by the International Weighlifting Federation in Paris, France and South Korea.
Diaz, the first Filipino lifter in 20 years to carry the national colors in two straight Summer Games, eventually ranked No. 9 in her division to qualify since the top 10 lifters in each category automatically get an Olympic berth.
She’s improving as could be gleaned from the results of the two qualifiers where the finest, strongest in the sport saw action led by Beijing Olympics champion Chen Yanqing and reigning Asian titlist Zhun Jun, both from China.
In the South Korea qualifier, she made 95 kilos in the snatch and 119 kgs. in the clean and jerk for a 214 total to finish a fighting fourth, a vast improvement from her seventh-place windup in the Paris tournament.
“I’m competing practically against the same set of opponents I competed against in the qualifiers. I’m familiar with them now and I’m not intimidated anymore,” Diaz said.
On Wednesday, long jumper Marestella Torres, on her second Olympics like Hidilyn, and long distance runner Rene Herrera will leave for London along with coach Joseph Sy to join Diaz, Alkhaldi, Rosario and Lacuna in the training camp that’s expected to last for three weeks.
The next day, boxer Mark Anthony Barriga follows suit together with coach Roel Velasco.