With three silvers, Diaz looks headed to Tokyo 2020
It looks like there’s no stopping weightlifting heroine Hidilyn Diaz from sealing an unparalleled fourth stint in the Olympics.
Diaz claimed three silver medals in the 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, China, late Monday. The event is a tournament qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The country’s Olympic silver medalist accomplished the feat despite moving up to a heavier weight class.
“Thank you for all those who prayed for me,” Diaz posted on her Facebook wall.
“It’s still far from my target, there’s a lot more to improve on,” she added in Filipino.
Diaz carried 94 kilograms in the snatch and followed it up with a 115 lift in the clean and jerk for a 209-kg total that merited a silver medal in the continental meet.
The Asian Games gold medalist in the 53kg moved up to the 55kg class after her weight category was scrapped.
Liao Quiyun of China ruled the event after registering a new world record in the clean and jerk (128kg) that erased the 127 standard achieved by Srisurat Sukanya of Thailand.
Quiyun also scooped the gold medals in the snatch (96kg) and total (224kg).
The silver finish positioned Diaz for a fourth straight appearance in the Olympics after her debut in the 2008 Beijing Summer Games followed by her campaign in 2012 in London. She earned her first medal in the meet when she won a silver in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.
The 28-year-old pride of Zamboanga City is on target for that elusive first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines.
