It is interesting to note that
the Philippines participated in the Modern Olympic Games for all but one
instance. The Olympics from 1896 to 1920 technically did not count as the
country was a colony (Spanish during the first, American during the rest). In
1924 the then-Commonwealth of the Philippines made its Olympic debut in Paris. Not
until Amsterdam 1928 did the country win one (bronze) medal, and in Los Angeles
1932 win the most (3). Over the decades and following some medal droughts the
Philippines gets the arguable distinction of being a nation with the most
Olympic medals won without a single Gold. That definitely ended in Tokyo 2020.
And the Filipino people can thank
Hidilyn Diaz, age 30, weightlifter and four-time Olympian, for this momentous
achievement. CNN Philippines reports
that Diaz triumphed in a pool of 14 competitors for the women’s 55-kg
weightlifting event this past Monday, July 26, beating favored athletes from Asian
countries to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. It is the first
medal won by the Philippines in these Games and the first ever Gold medal for
the country, which has been gunning for it since joining the Olympiad in 1924.
In the two components of the
weightlifting contest, the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk, Hidilyn would go on
to lift a total 224 kilos, setting a new Olympic record for the event. She also
scored a new OR for the Clean & Jerk, where in three attempts she
consistently, successfully lifted one kilo more in weights than her closest
competition, China’s Liao Qiuyun, for a 127-kilo result. Only in the Snatch did
Diaz and Liao tie at 97 kilos max weight, though ultimately the Chinese
weightlifter had to make do with Silver. Zulfiya Chinshanlo of Kazakhstan took Bronze,
while non-medalist fourth placer Muattar Nabieva set the new Olympic record for
the Snatch (98 kilos).
This triumph was the culmination
of the Zamboanga City native’s Olympic journey, which began in the 2008 Summer
Games in Beijing at age 17. While she broke the personal weightlifting record
she set in the SEA Games a year earlier, in these Olympics she finished second
to last among 12 in the women’s 58-kg event. Hidilyn’s placing in London 2012
was better (12th of 19) but she officially got a “Did Not Finish”
result due to three failed Clean & Jerk attempts at 118 kilos. Only in Rio
2016 did she gain her first Olympic medal, Silver. But it was a portent for her
future.
As expected, Hidilyn Diaz was the
toast of the country for her breaking the Philippine Olympic Gold medal “curse.”
Notable people from President Rodrigo Duterte, to Philippine Sports Commission
chairman William Ramirez, to her superiors in the Philippine Air Force where
she is an Airwoman Sergeant, have congratulated Diaz for her efforts, which is
claimed to have been a significant uplift in the national mood. And while her
medal ceremony was not presented in front of stands packed with an international
audience, Hidilyn’s Gold achievement was all that really matters.
HISTORY MADE! 🥇
— Philippine Sports Commission (@psc_gov) July 26, 2021
Hidilyn Diaz (Weightlifting) gives the Philippines its 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐋 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 with a win in the Women’s 55kg in Tokyo 2020! 🇵🇭 🏋🏼♀️
Mabuhay ka Hidilyn at ang #GalingngAtletangPililino! pic.twitter.com/7bLYNzVIvF
Image from Olympics official webpage
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