Weightlifting Hidilyn Diaz

Hidilyn Diaz: I almost quit weightlifting before Rio Olympics
MANILA — Not only did Hidilyn Diaz embark on a medal quest in Rio, her experience on the road to
victory was a spiritual journey.
Almost quitting weightlifting in 2014, the 25-year-old Diaz said that throughout her participation in the
Summer Olympics she was in prayer to the point that she did not immediately realize that she had won
the silver instead of a bronze medal. Diaz recalled how she was able to regain the inspiration for the
sport after she suffered a slump and failed to qualify for the Southeast Asian Games in 2014.
“It’s good she decided to stay in the sport,” remarked her coach, Alfonsito Aldanete, who masterminded
Diaz’s return to form in 14 months.
Diaz arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Thursday around 6 p.m. on an
Emirates flight and was mobbed by admirers and well-wishers, including her superiors at the Philippine
Air Force who had the service’s band in tow to give her a proper hero’s welcome.
As soon as Diaz, now an Airwoman 1st class (A1C), and her teammate Airman 2nd class (A2C) Nestor
Colonia walked out of Bay 110, they gave a salute to their superiors Major Gen. Rozzano Briguez and
710th Special Operations Wing commander, Brigadier Gen Cris Tumanda.
Briguez told reporters that he has approved her promotion to the next rank from an A2C at the 710th
Special Operations Wing.
Diaz was then embraced and kissed in greeting by her teary-eyed parents Eduardo and Emelita. The 25-
year-old athlete suddenly took off the Olympic silver medal from around her neck and gave it to her
mother.
During the press conference, Diaz explained that it was her mother’s birthday when she competed in the
53-kilogram weight division in the Rio Olympics.
Emelita, for her part, recalled that she was praying the rosary when she was told by neighbors that her
daughter had clinched the bronze medal. She then went to the chapel at Barangay Mampang in
Zamboanga City for thanksgiving. It was then that she was again told by her neighbors that Hidilyn had
won a silver medal.
Hidilyn Diaz, of the Philipines, wipes away tears after winning the silver medal in the women's 53kg
weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016.
(AP Photo/Mike Groll)
Hidilyn Diaz, of the Philipines, wipes away tears after winning the silver medal in the women’s 53kg
weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016.
(AP Photo/Mike Groll)
Asked how she prepared for the Olympics, Diaz said that it was mostly “spiritual preparation.” “I
surrendered everything to God. I asked him to send the Holy Spirit so I can do what needs to be done.
When God gave me the chance to compete in the Rio Olympics, I thought that He gave me the chance
and I needed to give it my all,” Diaz said.
She said that she was praying even while she was competing and after she clinched the bronze medal,
she was praying in a corner praising God for her victory.
“I was surprised when I saw the Korean team rejoicing. It was the coach from Taiwan who told me,
‘You’re second.’ I was ecstatic,” Diaz recalled.
She said that she hopes she could return to her hometown on Sunday in time for the fiesta so she could
pray to their town’s patron saint.
Diaz revealed that she would like to buy a lot across from their home with the P5 million incentive she
was given and turn the property into a gym. “I want to build a gym for the children. I also want them to
dream. I also want them to be Olympians, to be medalists,” she said.
Asked what she would ask President Duterte if she could, Diaz simply said, “Grassroots sports training,”
and said that she had no plan of retiring from weightlifting anytime soon.
Her coach Alfonsito Aldanete said that Diaz almost quit the sport in 2014 after she failed to qualify in the
Southeast Asian Games.
“She lost focus after she was not able to compete and her allowance from the Philippine Sports
Commission was considerably reduced. Hidilyn wanted to just go to the US to work as a fitness
instructor,” Aldanete pointed out, explaining that from a monthly allowance of P40,000, it was reduced
to just P9,600.
He said that he convinced Diaz to stay on, “You’ve trained for 14 years. Now you’ll only be training for 14
months and you’ll get a medal.” Aldanete said that he promised to set Diaz free after Rio.
Aldanete said that he crafted a program for Diaz the target of which was 2016. “I said Diaz will be ready
by 2016. There will be obstacles along the way but the best way is to bring down her weight,” he
explained, adding that a nutritionist, a psychologist, and a conditioning coach had to be brought in to
basically “rehabilitate” Diaz.
“It’s good she decided to stay in the sport,” he remarked.
He pointed out that Diaz came from four generations of weightlifters and the sport practically ran in the
blood
Rio 2016: Hidilyn Diaz ends Philippine Olympic medal drought with weightlifting silver
By Paolo Del Rosario, CNN Philippines
Updated 17:16 PM PHT Tue, August 9, 2016
(CNN Philippines) — The Philippines has its first medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics after Hidilyn Diaz
finished with a lift of 200kg at the women’s 53kg category in weightlifting on Monday.
Diaz’ silver medal is the country’s first since Onyok Velasco’s triumph at the 1996 games in Atlanta.
“Ginawa ko yung best para sa country," Diaz told CNN Philippines. "Yun lang talaga yung goal, tapos mag
medal. Bronze lang talaga yung aim namin ng coach ko.”
Initially thought to be a two-horse race between Chinese-Taipei’s Hsu Shu-Ching and China’s Li Yajun, the
rest of the field was seen to be competing for the bronze.
It looked that way after Hsu and Li took a commanding lead after the snatch portion of the competition
with scores of 101kg and 100kg, respectively.
“Nadiscourage ako pero sabi ng coach ko na wala na kaming magagawa. Sa clean and jerk ako bumawi,”
Diaz said.
hidilyn2_olympics_CNNPH_750x450.png Gold medalist, Shu-Ching Hsu of Chinese Taipei, silver medalist
Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines and bronze medalist Jin Hee Yoon of Korea celebrate on the podium after
the Women's 53kg Group A weightlifting contest on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
While Latvia’s Rebeka Kohn led the rest of the pack with a score of 90kg.
In the clean and jerk portion, Diaz cleared 111kg on her first attempt, forcing Korea’s Yoon Jin Hee to
successfully manage at least 111kg of her own.
PH-Olympic-Medals_infogfx_CNNPH.png
Yoon scored 111kg on her third attempt, but the Filipina chalked up 112kg on her second attempt to
secure at least a bronze medal for the country.
Related: 16 facts about Rio 2016 Olympic Games
The Chinese-Taipei national logged in 112kg on the scoreboard with her first lift, placing her in pole
position to notch the gold.
China’s Li attempted to lift 123kg on her first attempt, but failed due to a hyperextended left elbow. The
failure proved to be the pivotal moment of the competition as Li could not complete any of her attempts
in the clean and jerk portion.
Li’s inability to successfully lift 123kg once pushed Diaz up the podium to a silver medal finish, while
Korea’s Yoon ended up with the bronze.

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Hidilyn Diaz: I almost quit weightlifting before Rio Olympics

“It’s good she decided to stay in the sport,” he remarked.

By Paolo Del Rosario, CNN Philippines

Updated 17:16 PM PHT Tue, August 9, 2016

Related: 16 facts about Rio 2016 Olympic Games

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