By J. Jala | 07:15 PM April 19, 2021
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz has booked her ticket to a fourth Olympic Games where she’ll bid to win the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold medal this summer, the Olympic Channel reported.
Diaz formalized her entry in the Tokyo Olympics after participating in the Asian Weightlifting Championship on Sunday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The Rio 2016 silver medallist is on a mission to win the Philippines’ first ever gold medal in any sport, after she became the first Filipina woman to win an Olympic medal in Rio.
According to the weightlifting qualification rules for the Tokyo Olympics, the top-eight in the world rankings in each weight category as of April 30, 2021, will qualify for the Games and at World No.2 Diaz is a safe seat on the plane.
The 30-year-old is now confirmed as the country’s seventh Olympic qualifier joining boxers Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio, and Carlo Paalam, world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo, and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
Diaz will be making her fourth trip to the Olympics after also competing in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
She won the silver medal in the women’s 53-kilogram category in Rio to end the Philippines’ 20-year medal drought.
