Earning the Philippines’ first ever Olympic Gold medal, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz embodies the power, strength and faith of a nation
Taking a deep breath on the sidelines as she awaits her turn, Olympic weightlifter, active member of the Philippine Air Force and Gen.T honouree Hidilyn Diaz clutches tightly at her Miraculous Medal of the Blessed Mother. It was a reminder of all the people praying for her and of knowing that God is always with her, especially now. As she stepped onto the crimson stage, the voice of her strength and conditioning coach, Julius Naranjo, rang through her mind: “One motion, chest out, one motion.”
One motion, one extra kilogram and immeasurable determination are what it took for Diaz to stand victorious. By lifting 97kg in snatch and 127kg in the clean-and-jerk, setting an Olympic record in the process, she beat China’s Liao Quiyun with a total of 224kg, bringing home the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal. “I was not thinking of the Olympic record, I was not thinking of a medal; I was just focusing on the movement—one motion, chest out,” says the 30-year-old champion. “I was never able to lift 127kg in the clean-and-jerk before. I have tried but never could.” That day she did. With an entire nation cheering her on, in one seamless movement, Diaz made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Her path to this life-changing moment was not without its challenges. While representing the country at the 2012 London Olympics, she received a devastating “Did Not Finish” after three unsuccessful attempts in her clean-and-jerk. In a past interview with Tatler Philippines, Diaz said she felt like “there was no way I could win in the Olympics or even go back to weightlifting. I felt like I was a loser, a failure, that I was empty and with no purpose or direction in my life”.
Picking herself up, Diaz took home silver at Rio 2016 and continued to keep her eye on the prize. After years of training for Tokyo 2020, she was finally feeling prepared—then the pandemic hit. “Every day, we live in anxiety,” she says. “When I found out they postponed the Olympics, the athlete in me was like—what now? I’ve already given my everything.” Despite the constant fear of falling ill and logistical difficulties, Diaz continued to train. Separated from her loved ones, stuck in Malaysia due to international travel restrictions and with no gyms open, she trained using bamboo sticks, water bottles and weighted bags. “I’m so grateful the Olympics pushed through. I’m so grateful we made it and we were able to bring home that gold medal for the Philippines.”
Adding more weight to the achievement is the fact that the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal was won by a woman. “This is so significant for me, that I was able to prove that we women can do this. Kaya ng Filipina, kaya ng Filipino [The Filipina can, the Filipino can],” Diaz declares. “I am so proud to be a woman, to show that women are not just capable of being at home, that we are proficient in sports, that we can succeed in anything—while wearing lipstick too!”
See also: Meet The Gen.T Honourees Competing In The Tokyo Olympics