Tokyo Olympics within Hidilyn’s reach

MANILA, Philippines — Barring any more postponements related to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2016 Rio Olympics weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz will officially claim her spot to the Tokyo Games by April.

Diaz, 28, will need to just step on the mat in the Olympic qualifying event set April 15-25 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan to advance to the Summer Games slated July 23 to Aug. 8. Regardless of the outcome, she will join gymnast Caloy Yulo, pole-vaulter EJ Obiena and boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno in Tokyo.

This is because Diaz is practically assured of one of the eight slots in in the women’s 55-kilogram division as she is currently ranked second in the world.

What is preventing her from qualifying outright is that she has only competed in five of the required six International Weightlifting Federation-sanctioned events to officially make it to her fourth Olympics.