Pinay weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz made history when she finally clinched the first-ever Olympic Gold Medal for the Philippines in the women’s 55kg weightlifting at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Hidilyn also achieved two Olympic records, a 217 kg in the clean and jerk and a 224 kg total.
Diaz bested 8 other competitors in her category, including world-record holder Liao Qiuyun of China. Already in her fourth straight Olympics, this is the second Olympic medal of Diaz, after she won silver in the 2016 edition of the Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was the first Filipina to ever win an Olympic Medal.
Diaz’ win ended the 97 years Gold Medal drought for the Philippines in the Olympics. The first time the Philippines joined the Olympics was in 1924 and since then, Filipinos had won 10 medals, including 3 silver medals, courtesy of Anthony Villanueva in Tokyo 1964, Onyok Velasco and Hidilyn Diaz, and 7 bronze.
With her win, Diaz is a source of inspiration for the Filipino youth to dream for the Olympic Gold. She herself came from humble beginnings in Zamboanga before she was recruited at the age of 17 to join the Philippine team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Congratulations and thank you, Hidilyn!
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