Push Admin

Mindanao on a roll: Diaz is first Filipino woman to win Olympic medal

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/sports/7/18/20160718-duterte-pholympic-mnib-4.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">President Duterte with Philippine athletes and officials. Hidilyn Diaz is at the front row, second from right. Photo by King Rodriguez, Malacanang</div></figcaption></figure></div>Another Mindanaoan, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, a native of Zamboanga City, made history on Monday by becoming the first Filipino woman to win a medal in the Olympics.President Duterte, the Philippines&#x27; first chief executive from Mindanao (Davao City), met with members of the Philippine Olympic team during a send-off for the Rio Olympics at the Malacanang Palace last July 18.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/abs-cbnnews/a_images/slideshows/frontimage/20120728_ph-flag-bearer.jpg"/></figure></div>As an 11-year old, Diaz learned the basics of weightlifting using pieces of Ipil wood. In the 2012 London Olympics, she carried something of greater value: the <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/31/12/hidilyn-diaz-continue-quest-gold-rio">flag of the Philippines</a>.Diaz comes from a family of weight-lifters and seemed destined for the sport even at a young age.“Yung mga pinsan ko kasi, mga weightlifters... Na-curious ako sa kanila,” she said in a previous interview with ABS-CBN News. “At first, basic lang talaga ang tinuturo. Kahoy lang muna.”She was discovered during the Mindanao Friendship Games when she was only 13 years old.“Maganda ‘yung resulta ko. Hindi ko alam kung ilan ang nabuhat ko, nakalimutan ko na,” she said. “Pero may nakikita na may potential (ako), so ni-recruit ako.”Diaz said the moment she took up weightlifting, she knew it was the sport for her.“At that moment, sineryoso ko na talaga. Wala talaga akong ibang alam na sport,” she said. “Sa badminton, talo ako. Sa swimming, hindi ako marunong. Sa basketball, parati kasing bugbog. So weightlifting na.&quot;She was recruited in January of 2004. Later that year, she competed in the Asian Youth Championships and came close to winning.“Malapit ko na sanang matalo ‘yung Taipei,” Diaz said. “Fourth ata ako. Sayang.”When she was only 17 years old, she became the first Filipina weightlifter to compete in the Olympics, entering the 2008 Beijing Games as a wildcard entry.At the time, she finished 11th out of the 12 competitors, but it was still a promising finish given her youth at the time.“Wild card lang ako at batang-bata pa,” Diaz said of the experience.<div>WORLD CLASS</div>It was during the 2011 World Weightlifting Championships in Paris that Diaz realized she could be among the best in her sport.In the women’s 58-kg division, she placed seventh among more than 30 competitors.“Sabi ko, uy, nandito na pala ako. Pang world na pala ang beauty ko,” Diaz said. “Kaya ko na pala ang mga kalaban ko.”At 21, Diaz qualified for the London Games after impressive performances in two qualifiers sanctioned by the International Weightlifting Federation. She competed in the 58-kg division, and was one of Philippines’ “strongest hope for a medal” in the 2012 Games.Unfortunately, she ended her London Olympic campaign in disappointing fashion after failing to advance past the group round of the women&#x27;s 58-kg weightlifting event.Diaz lived up to the hype in the snatch, lifting 97-kg which was good for second place in her group.The 97-kg lift was also a personal best for Diaz, who lifted a Philippine record 96-kg during the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission National Games in May 2012.She lifted 92-kg in her first attempt, and 97-kg in her second attempt, but it was judged a &quot;no lift.&quot; She managed to lift 97-kg in her third and final try in the snatch.But in the clean and jerk, she failed to lift 118-kg in three attempts and finished in last place in her group.Diaz was near tears but managed to wave in gratitude to the crowd at the ExCel, who had cheered her on during her third and last attempt.Diaz&#x27;s personal best in the clean and jerk was 123-kg, also a Philippine record.Diaz had hoped to place &quot;fourth, fifth, maybe sixth&quot; in London after also competing in the 2008 Beijing Games.<div>DROP IN WEIGHT</div>After the 2012 Olympics, Diaz made the fateful decision to drop from the 58-kg division to the 53-kg, a move that immediately paid off as she won the gold in the 1st Southeast Asian Weightlifting Championship in 2015.She continued her impressive run late in 2015 by winning three bronzes in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championship in Houston, which helped her stay on track for an Olympic berth.Diaz formally booked her ticket to the Rio Olympics after winning a silver medal and two bronze medals in the Asian Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April 24 to 30.Ahead of her stint in Rio, Diaz was cautiously optimistic of her medal chances.&quot;Kinakabahan, pero nae-excite din, kasi s&#x27;yempre, bale may chance kami na manalo eh,&quot; she said before leaving the Philippines on July 24. &quot;Tingnan na lang natin kung ano ang magiging resulta ng laro.&quot;At the time, when asked what she would do should she reach the medal round, Diaz said: &quot;Siguro kung nandun ako sa puntong yun, magdadasal ako at sabihin ko rin sa sarili ko na kailangan ko pagtiwalaan yung sarili ko kasi andito na ako.&quot;&quot;May 6 attempts ako na kailangan kong gawin at saka last ko na ito kaya gagawin ko na lahat,&quot; she added.The Philippines now has 3 silver medals in the Olympic Games since it began participating in 1924. It has 2 silver medals in boxing (Mansueto &#x27;Onyok&#x27; Velasco and Anthony Villanueva) and 7 bronze medals in boxing, athletics, and swimming. -- With reports from Camille Naredo, ABS-CBN News; Carol Panday, ABS-CBN News Europe Bureau.

Another Mindanaoan, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, a native of Zamboanga City, made history on Monday by becoming the first Filipino woman to win a medal in the Olympics.