Philippines’ Hidilyn Diaz competes in the women’s 55kg weightlifting competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by Vincenzo PINTO / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines—From the Olympics itself to the Filipinos who waited with bated breath, cheers erupted on social media for the first Filipino gold medalist in the Olympics.
“History. Made,” wrote the Olympics’ official Twitter page. “Hidilyn Diaz has won the first ever gold medal for the Philippines!”
History. Made.
Hidilyn Diaz has won the first ever gold medal for Philippines!#PHI #Gold #PHI #Gold #PHI #Gold pic.twitter.com/hrhavf2Iyp
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 26, 2021
“Laban Pilipinas. #UnitedByEmotion,” posted the Tokyo Organizing Committee on Twitter. “A historic moment for the Philippines at #Tokyo2020.”
Filipino fans who had been monitoring the tense competition, which came down to Hidilyn’s final clean and jerk lift, immediately turned to social media to express their elation and send their congratulations.
Middleweight boxer Eumir Marcial, who will also compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, took to Instagram to congratulate Diaz.
Eumir Marcial congratulates Hidilyn Diaz on her gold medal win. MARCIAL INSTAGRAM
“Congratulations Ate Hidilyn Diaz. I’m speechless right now because of the joy I’m having,” posted Marcial in Filipino with a picture of them inside the Athletes’ Village.
A silver medalist in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Diaz was the final lifter in the event and came away with a total of 224 kilograms, 97 kg for snatch and an Olympic record 127 kg for the clean and jerk.
Her total was just a kilogram more than China’s Liao Qiuyun who settled for the silver with a total of 223 kg, while Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Chinshanlo took the bronze with a combined weight of 213 kg.
“Mabuhay! Congratulations to our first ever Olympic gold medalist, Hidilyn Diaz!” posted the PBA on Twitter.
The PBA’s winningest coach Tim Cone also extended his congratulations to Diaz via his Twitter account.
Just think of all the work Hidilyn has done through her lifetime to get to this point. An Olympic GOLD Medal!!!
— Tim Cone (@manilacone) July 26, 2021
“Amazing Hidilyn, just amazing! So proud!” wrote Cone, who has 23 PBA titles. “Just think of all the work Hidilyn has done through her lifetime to get to this point. An Olympic gold medal!”
Senator Grace Poe also congratulated Hidilyn on her triumph.
“Our first ever Olympic gold medal was bagged by a woman! Congratulations Hidilyn Diaz!” wrote Poe. “The whole country is so proud of you!”
The general Twitter population also reminisced how Diaz, a sergeant in the Philippine Air Force, voiced out the lack of government support back in 2019.
