Hidilyn Diaz has etched her name into the history books as the first Filipino athlete to claim an Olympic gold medal. This historic win came in the women's 55-kg weightlifting event in Tokyo, where the 30-year-old set a new Olympic record of 224 kilograms. In doing so, she brought a 97-year drought for Philippine gold medals to a triumphant end.
The magnitude of the win left Hidilyn Diaz in tears immediately after her record-setting lift. The Philippine Air Force member was visibly moved as she sang the national anthem and saluted her flag, proudly clutching her gold medal and pointing to the national emblem on her jersey.
Building on her silver medal success from Rio 2016, Diaz achieved a personal best to outperform China's Liao Qiuyun, who held the world record. Liao finished with a silver-winning 223kg, while Zulfiya Chinshanlo of Kazakhstan took home the bronze with 213kg.
To clinch the victory, Diaz had to overcome Liao's 223kg total. She managed this by successfully lifting 127 kg in her final clean and jerk, resulting in a winning combined total of 224 kilograms.
Diaz admitted that the moment of victory felt like a dream come true. She expressed her hope that her success would inspire the youth in the Philippines to strive for Olympic gold in the future. Additionally, she mentioned how eager she was to return home and share this milestone with her family.
Due to the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, Diaz was separated from her family for seven months, training in isolation in Malaysia. Her dedication was evident in her makeshift workouts; lacking access to a proper gym during the lockdown, she famously trained using a bamboo pole with water bottles attached to the ends for weight.
Harry Roque, the spokesperson for the Philippine President, offered his congratulations, stating that Diaz had brought immense pride and honor to the entire nation. In recognition of her feat, the Olympian is expected to receive a total prize pool of $656,000, with $198,600 coming directly from the Philippine Sports Commission.
This victory marks only the 11th medal of any kind for the Philippines since 1924, and it is their first and only gold. Furthermore, Diaz has now become one of only two Filipino athletes to ever win multiple Olympic medals.