Diaz upbeat on bagging Olympic medal

MANILA, Philippines - Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz is set to compete in her third Olympics in Rio this year and while the POC hasn’t confirmed her participation, she’s looking forward to a medal breakthrough in the 53-kilogram division.

Diaz, 24, competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in the 58-kilogram category then last year, dropped down to a lower weight class after consulting with national coach Dondon Aldanete. So far, the decision has reaped dividends for the 5-2 Zamboanga lifter. Last November, she took three bronze medals in the snatch, clear and jerk and total events at the World Championships in Houston.

Diaz made her debut in the 53-kilogram class at the first Southeast Asian Championships in Bangkok last June, winning the gold. She hoisted 98 in the snatch and 115 in the clean and jerk for a total of 213 which would’ve been good for fourth place at the 2012 London Games. In September, she also struck gold at the Asian Championships in Phuket. Diaz finished the year with another gold performance at the Qatar Invitationals last December.

It was a Polish friend who suggested testing a lower weight class to Diaz. “My friend Yacek is married to a Filipina Elisa Raymundo of Quezon City and often drops by the gym at Rizal Memorial when they’re visiting from California where they live,” said Diaz. “In March last year, he emailed stats of weightlifters who were of my size and what weight divisions they competed in. He found out with my build, my chances of winning medals would be higher if I competed at 53 instead of 58. At first, I didn’t like the idea of reducing weight because it would be difficult to cut down on eating. I also thought with less weight, I would lose power to lift.”

But Diaz said she was determined to make up for her lackluster showing in the past two Olympics. “It’s all in the food intake,” she said. “I started to eat healthy. I asked advice from the POC and they helped me with my diet. At the start, I was so stressed eating food I wasn’t used to. Now, I’m adjusted to it. The POC pays for my food that comes from iChef. I used to walk around weighing 60 kilos, now I’m down to 56.5 which is perfect when I drop down to 53 for my competitions.”

Diaz said she also picked up valuable tips from PSC strength and conditioning coach Rene Futalan. “He taught me how to improve my muscle resistance and fiber flexibility by doing intense reps in deadlift and squats,” she said. “Coach Dondon supervises my daily training which is 15 sessions over six days a week, doing 1 1/2 hours each session. I’m totally focused on weightlifting. No social life for me, no boyfriends. I stopped schooling in my second year of computer studies in Zamboanga to concentrate on my training and competing.”

Diaz, who was the country’s flag bearer in London, said Rio may be her last Olympic stage. “I’ll decide after the Olympics,” she said. “I plan to go back to school, maybe shift to sports science as my dream is to coach young kids in weightlifting. I also want to travel the world, explore Europe. I was in Paris once for a competition but I never got to see the sights.”

Diaz said her dream is to come close to what 2012 Olympic 53-kilogram gold medalist Zulfiya Chinshanlo of Kazakhstan has lifted. Chinshanlo competed in the 58-kilogram class at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore then went down to 53 for London. The Kazakh lifter hoisted 95 in the snatch and a world-record 131 in the clean and jerk to total 226 for the gold.

“I did 98 in the snatch at the Southeast Asian Championships but only 115 in the clean and jerk,” said Diaz. “I’m training to lift up to 123 for Rio and if I make it, I could take the bronze or maybe even a silver, depending on how fit I am and how the others perform. Zulfiya will be back to defend her crown in Rio so I think she’ll be unbeatable. My target is to be able to lift 100 in the snatch and 200 in the clean and jerk by April. I will compete in the last Asian Olympic qualifier in Uzbekistan on April 21-30 and even if I’ve qualified for Rio, I’ll do my best.”

POC first vice president and 2016 Olympic Philippine delegation chef de mission Joey Romasanta said Diaz’ participation in Rio hasn’t been confirmed in writing by the IOC. “We understand that the International Weightlifting Federation has nominated Hidilyn but until we are notified by the IOC, we can’t confirm her participation,” he said. “The process is firstly, the International Federation recommends the athlete after meeting the standards then the Association of NOCs and the IOC confirm the participation. It’s a tripartite decision so at the moment, we are still awaiting confirmation.”

Diaz, the fifth of six children born to Eduardo, a tricycle driver, and Emelita, a housewife in Zamboanga, said her initial Olympic appearance in 2008 was a learning experience but her 2012 performance was a disaster. “In Beijing, there was no pressure because it was my first time and nobody expected much from me,” she said. “In London, I was the flag bearer and had the chance to medal. Of course, I felt the pressure. Before moving to London, I worked out in Guilford but I trained in a recreational gym where I was the only lifter. When it came to compete, I struggled in my first attempt at the clean and jerk. My elbow hit my knee as I tried to lift and I fell on my back. I lost my focus after that and didn’t complete my next two attempts.”

Diaz said it’s only a matter of time before the Philippines claims a medal in Olympic weightlifting. “God is my secret,” she said. “I do Evangelical worship with Bro. Bo Sanchez and I am a strong Catholic. God gives my strength. I hope in my third Olympics, I can bring home a medal for our country.”