“This proves we can do it. They said this was impossible. I thought this was impossible. But the Filipino can do it. We just have to believe.”
Thus said weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz last Monday, July 26, when she made history by securing the country’s first-ever Olympic gold since the Philippines’ Olympic debut in the 1924 Paris Games. She changed Philippine sports forever and brought light to what seemed like a very dark time for the nation.
Diaz lifted a total of 224kg and set a new Olympic record of 127kg in the clean and jerk portion of the Women’s 55kg category. After other lifters failed to keep up, Diaz and current world record holder and Rio 2016 champion Liao Qiu Yun were left competing head-to-head with each other.
Team Hidilyn Diaz kept submitting one kilogram more than Liao’s submission – this strategic play paved the way for Team Philippines to finally achieve the golden dream.
It was the first time for the Rio 2016 silver medalist to successfully lift 127kg in the clean and jerk; she had been trying for months but had been unsuccessful.
"Nata-try ko na siya sa training pero di ko pa nagagawa. Every time tina-try ko, di ko nagagawa, umiiyak ako, sobrang lugi ako sa mga training pag 'di ko nagagawa pero at least na-try ko sa training;" the Zamboangueña admitted in a press conference.
Despite the lack of facilities to train and the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Diaz, together with 18 other Filipino athletes, made her way to the XXXII Olympiad.
“Kahit nasa pandemya, nakaya natin,” said Diaz. “Nagawa natin kahit sabihin na nasa pandemic, nandito tayo and risky, pero naiuwi natin ang medalya. Walang imposible.”
As of press time, the Philippine team has secured three more Olympic medals – making the 4-medal haul the most medals the country will be bringing home in a single Olympiad.
The Philippine delegation consists of:
EJ Obiena (Pole vault)
Carlos Yulo (Gymnastics)
Eumir Marcial (Boxing)
Irish Magno (Boxing)
Nesthy Petecio (Boxing)
Carlo Paalam (Boxing)
Hidilyn Diaz (Weightlifting)
Elreen Aldo (Weightlifting)
Cris Nievarez (Rowing)
Kurt Barbosa (Taekwondo)
Margielyn Didal (Skateboarding)
Jayson Valdez (Shooting)
Juvic Pagunsan (Golf)
Yuka Saso (Golf)
Bianca Pagdanganan (Golf)
Kiyomi Watanabe (Judo)
Kristina Knott (Track and field)
Luke Gebbie (Swimming)
Remedy Rule (Swimming)
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