2016 RIO OLYMPICS: HIDILYN DIAZ ENDS 20-YEAR PH MEDAL DROUGHT WINS WEIGHTLIFTING SILVER
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 08 Aug 2016
Hidilyn Diaz became the Philippines' newest Olympic hero, ending the country's 20-year medal drought in the Summer Games, by winning the silver medal in the women's 53kg weightlifting division on Sunday, August 7 (Monday morning in Manila) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In the initial snatch event, Diaz seemed to falter as she failed to lift two of her 3 attempts and recorded only 88kg good for 6th place. But she regained her confidence in the clean and jerk event, powerfully lifting 111kg in the first attempt and followed by 112kg mark in her second attempt.
Favorite Li Yajun of China was the leader in the snatch event but she failed in all her 3 attempts at the clean and jerk, giving Diaz a chance to win the silver medal.
Chinese-Taipei's Hsu Shu-Ching won the gold with a total tally of 212kg while Korea's Yoon Jin Hee took home the bronze with a total lift of 199 kg.
A student of the Universidad de Zamboanga, Diaz also won two golds and one silver in the Asian Youth/Junior Weightlifting Championship held in Jeonju, South Korea. The 25-year-old Diaz won also a bronze medal in the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships.
Diaz competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics and was also the youngest competitor in the women's 58-kg category in Beijing. She became the first Filipina weightlifter to compete in consecutive Olympics in 2012 in London, by qualifying in the women's weightlifting under 58 kg through the Continental and World Qualifying Tournaments.
She was ranked ninth in her event heading to the London Olympics. Diaz was chosen to be the flagbearer during the Opening Ceremony. But she was unsuccessful in the actual competition then.
This time in her third Olympics at Rio de Janeiro, Diaz saved the nation's face in the sporting world by following Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco's silver victory in 1996 in Atlanta exactly 20 years ago.
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