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Hidilyn Diaz tells Olympic debutant Ando: 'Enjoy the moment'

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/sports/06/12/sports.jpg"/><figcaption>ilipina weightlifter Elreen Ando.</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA, Philippines -- Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz can still remember how she felt when competing in the Olympics for the first time.</p><p>Diaz made her debut in the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, as a wild card entry. Then only 17 years old, Diaz placed second to the last among a 12-woman field.</p><p>&quot;Pag-open ng door &#x27;yung 2008,&quot; she said on &quot;Play It Right TV.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Nag-open &#x27;yun ng door para makita ko kung ano &#x27;yung Olympics, noong 2008. Kasi talagang wala akong alam kung ano &#x27;yung Olympics,&quot; she admitted.</p><p>She competed again in the 2012 Games in London, and for a third time in 2016, in Rio de Janeiro. There, Diaz had her breakthrough, winning the silver in the women&#x27;s 53kg division -- the first Olympic medal for the Philippines in 20 years.</p><p>In Tokyo this month, Diaz will be gunning for gold. She will be joined by a fellow weightlifter, Elreen Ando, who will be making her Olympic debut after qualifying through a continental allocation.</p><p>Diaz had nothing but words of praise for Ando, who she said greatly deserved her spot in the Summer Games.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/12/21/weightlifter-elreen-ando-becomes-11th-pinoy-to-qualify-for-tokyo">READ: Weightlifter Elreen Ando becomes 11th Pinoy to qualify for Tokyo</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/20/21/weightlifting-elreen-ando-asian-championships">READ: PH’s Elreen Ando clinches 3 medals at Asian Championships</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Kahit unexpected &#x27;yung pagpasok niya sa Olympics, alam kong deserve niya &#x27;yun. Pinaghirapan niya, nag-training siya,&quot; Diaz said of Ando, a silver medalist in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games who will compete in the 64kg division.</p><p>Asked about her advice for Ando, Diaz kept it simple.</p><p>&quot;Para sa akin kasi, &#x27;pag first time, ang advice ko sa kanila is enjoy the moment. Kasi hindi ka everytime na makakapaglaro sa Olympics. So enjoy the moment, enjoy the preparation, enjoy the tears, &#x27;yung paghihirap sa training,&quot; said Diaz.</p><p>Much like she did during her first Olympic stint, Diaz says that Ando should use this experience as a lesson and build on it for future competitions.</p><p>&quot;Kung ano man &#x27;yung maging result nito, use it as a lesson. &#x27;Yung experience, use it as a lesson para makapag-move forward siya for the next Olympics,&quot; she explained. &quot;Kasi may three years pa to prepare, and hopefully mas gagalingan niya sa next Olympics.&quot;</p><p>As she prepares for her fourth -- and perhaps final -- Olympic stint, Diaz says this feels like a &quot;graduation&quot; for her.</p><p>&quot;Noong 2016, doon na &#x27;yung time na, masasabi ko nasa klase na ako. Maganda na &#x27;yung grado ko, kaya nanalo ako ng silver medal sa Olympics,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;Ngayon naman, siguro ide-describe ko &#x27;yung 2020 Tokyo Olympics ay Dean&#x27;s Lister, &#x27;pang Dean&#x27;s Lister na, pang-graduation na. Parang ganoon, pang-graduation na.&quot;</p><p>Diaz will compete in the women&#x27;s 55kg division, with her event set for July 26 at the Tokyo International Forum. Ando will compete the next day in the same venue. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1664886" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz can still remember how she felt when competing in the Olympics for the first time.<br /> </p>

Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz can still remember how she felt when competing in the Olympics for the first time.

Hidilyn Diaz tells Olympic debutant Ando: 'Enjoy the moment'

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Hidilyn Diaz tells Olympic debutant Ando: 'Enjoy the moment'

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 11, 2021 04:02 PM PHT

Read More:

weightlifting

Tokyo Olympics

Olympic Games

Hidilyn Diaz

Elreen Ando

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