Diaz boosts Olympic bid with silver, 2 bronzes in Asian weightlifting

Hidilyn Diaz brought home a silver medal and a pair of bronzes from the just-concluded 2016 Asian Weightlifting Championship.

The two-time Olympian lifted 118 kilograms to end up second in the clean and jerk among 20 participants in the women’s 53kg division of the continental meet held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Diaz, however, came up short in the snatch event where the 25-year-old pride of Zamboanga City managed to pull up 90kg, good for a bronze medal behind the Chinese duo of Chen Xiaoting (96) and Zhang Wanqiong (95).

Overall, Diaz complied 208 in the total for another bronze while Xiaoting pocketed the gold with 221 and Wanqiong the silver with 211.

Xiaoting also ruled the clean and jerk (125) and Wanqiong finished third in the event with 116.

Diaz, who saw action in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games, failed to hurdle her personal best of 214 in the total, a feat she accomplished in the previous Asian championships last year in Phuket, Thailand.

She inched closer to an Olympic spot in Rio De Janeiro after scooping three bronze medals in the world championship last year in Houston, Texas.

Philippine Olympic Committee 1st vice president Joey Romasanta, the country’s chef de mission to Rio, said the local Olympic body has yet to receive a confirmation that Diaz already qualified.

Diaz made a drastic effort to cut down weight after competing at 58kg in the last two Olympics.

Just like Diaz, Nestor Colonia is also vying for an Olympic berth after bagging a bronze medal (clean and jerk) in the men’s 56kg of the same tournament.