MANILA, Philippines — Hidilyn Diaz poured all her energy as if it was the Tokyo Olympics as she blew away the opposition in the 2020 Eleikja Email International Lifters Tournament done online Thursday night.
Diaz, the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, lifted 216 kilograms — 95 in the snatch and 121 in the clean and jerk — to reign supreme in the 59-kg division of the event that drew participants from 63 nations.
The 2020 Roma World Cup champion and 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist outclassed a field that included Australia’s Fatima Yakabu and South Africa’s Johanni Taljaard, the silver and bronze medal winners who posted 189 and 188, respectively.
“I was supposed to compete today (Monday) in #Tokyo2020, I imagined the crowd would be full of Filipinos cheering for my win in Olympics but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympics was moved to July 23-Aug. 8, 2021, that imagination got blurred,” said Diaz on her Facebook page showing her lift.
While it was far from being the Tokyo tilt itself, the online event, which was organized and sponsored by weightlifting equipment manufacturer Eleiko, would suffice as it somehow showed Diaz’s current form.
The 2018 Asian Games silver medal winner is actually a heartbeat—one competition—away from sealing a slot to Tokyo as she is currently No. 4—No. 2 technically since the first three are Chinese and only one per country can compete—in the 55kg class of the 10 per weight category who will be chosen.
She is hoping to join gymnast Caloy Yulo, pole-vaulter EJ Obiena and boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno in the Games, which was reset from this year to the next due to the global health malady.