Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 20) – Winning her second straight Southeast Asian Games gold medal in Vietnam kicks off a campaign for a bigger mission for the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
“My journey towards Paris (Olympics) starts here, so this SEA Games gold is very important for me,” Diaz said after her golden feat in ruling the women’s 55kg division on Friday at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center.
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At the turn of the year, the weightlifting pride of Zamboanga signified her intention to compete in her fifth straight Olympic stint in Paris, France.
A day before her first international tournament since winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal, Diaz took to social media to express her preparedness in vying for another Olympic slot in Paris.
The 31-year-old reposted a picture of how much her body changed from her first Olympic stint in 2008 in Beijing, China until her golden milestone last year in Tokyo, Japan
“God makes me humble with every success and failure I experience along the way. And now, I still continue this journey. SEA Games Hanoi is my new beginning for Paris 2024,” Diaz said in her social media post.
Diaz also thanked her coaches, which include her fiancé Julius Naranjo, in achieving the golden feat for the Philippines as she conveyed her desire to be with them in her journey of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“My perspective changed as an athlete as I got older. I am more open, surrounded with good people that helped me achieve the impossible and they never gave up on me, even when they had to sacrifice a lot,” the Olympic champion said.
For her Tokyo Olympics preparation, Diaz had to endure separation from her loved ones as she trained in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia amid the lockdowns brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. She was guided then by Chinese coach Gao Kaiwen.
Diaz also credited her “Team HD” coaching staff for helping her to lose weight from 61 to 55 kilograms for the Vietnam SEA Games and overcoming training struggles from her Olympic triumph.
“We studied our opponent, we know she’s strong in the snatch, but not so much in the clean and jerk. But of course, we cannot downplay the competition. I always do my best,” said Diaz, who faced a tough opponent in eventual silver medalist Sanikun Tanasan of Thailand.
