Hidilyn snatches silver, bronze in weightlifting worlds

MANILA, Philippines — Rio Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz won silver and bronze medals in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championship despite failing to improve on her personal marks at the Anaheim Convention Center in California Thursday night.

Diaz, a silver medal winner at the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan last September, had aimed to better her personal best 98kg in the snatch and 118kg in the clean and jerk in the 53kg class, but managed to lift only 86kg in the snatch and 113kg in the clean and jerk.

Still, the efforts were enough to give the 26-year-old Diaz a silver in the clean and jerk and a bronze in the snatch as she finished with a total of 199kg.

Thai Sopita Tanasan swept all three mints in the division after she registered 96kg in snatch, 114kg in clean and jerk and 210kg overall.

Newbie Kristina Shermatova of Kazakhstan picked up a silver ahead of Diaz with total of 204 kg.

Diaz lost a potential medal in the snatch after she blew her first attempt at 83kg and another one at 90kg.

She made up for it with a stronger performance in the clean and jerk where she fell a kilo short of beating Tanasan and snaring the gold.

Diaz, however, performed better than reigning Olympic champion Hsu Shu Chin of Chinese Taipei, who surprisingly withdrew after ending second in the snatch.

Another Philippine bet, 21-year-old Kristel Macrohon, a bronze medal winner in Ashgabat, was likewise eyeing to go home with medals in the 69kg class as of press time.

The event also served as part of Diaz’s buildup for the Asian Games set in Palembang, Indonesia next year as well as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.