Diaz waves to photographers as she arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on July 28, 2021, following her return to her home country after she won gold in the women’s 55kg weightlifting at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. — AFP photo
KUCHING (July 29): The Embassy of the Philippines in Malaysia has extended its appreciation to the Malaysian government for assisting Filipina Hidilyn Diaz in her preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In a statement today, the Embassy said it joined the entire Filipino nation in congratulating Diaz for the historic feat of winning the first Olympic Gold medal for the Philippines in the women’s weightlifting (55kg) category at the Olympic Games.
“We share our joy and thanksgiving with our friends in Malaysia and the Malaysian government, who extended hospitality, kindness and assistance to Diaz as she prepared for the Tokyo Olympics.
“We are immensely proud of her remarkable achievement. Diaz spent 17 months training in Malaysia since the Movement Control Order (MCO) started in March last year, before departing for Tokyo this month,” it said.
The Embassy said Diaz had during an interview in October last year shared: “The best thing (about being) here is I feel like I’m home. It’s a good thing that I’m here. I can train and share tips on weightlifting with Malaysian athletes.”
It added that Diaz’s story was a testament to the robust tradition of cooperation and camaraderie between Filipino and Malaysian athletes, and reaffirmed the strong friendship between the two countries and people.
According to the Malay Mail, Diaz’s journey to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games began when she moved to an apartment in Kuala Lumpur in February 2020 on advice of her Chinese coach Gao Kaiwen and began training in the city.
In October 2020, she and her team relocated to a kampung house in Jasin, Melaka where they initially were able to train at a gym nearby.
Due to tighter restrictions, the gym was forced to close, leaving Diaz with no choice but to train in her backyard with a makeshift gym.
She spent more than a year in isolation without her family members and only her trainers for company.
Eventually, Diaz paid her dues with convincing in-competition showings.
She finished fourth in her first warm-up tournament, the Asian Championships in Tashkent in April 2021. It was enough to get her qualified for Tokyo.
Upon returning to Malaysia, she had to quarantine for 10 days, six confined to a hotel room.
She saw out the final four days back at the house in Jasin, relying on an exercise bike, dumbbells and rubber power bands to maintain her fitness and strength.
Undeterred, the 30-year-old knew she stood a good chance of winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics where she would be competing in the 55kg category, having won silver in Rio 2016 in her third consecutive appearance in the women’s 53kg weightlifting category.
Diaz, a Sergeant in the Philippine Air Force, not only won gold but smashed the Olympic record (OR) en route.
With a 97kg snatch and a flawless series of 119kg, 124kg, and 127kg (OR) in her three clean and jerk attempts, she set a new Olympic record with a combined weight of 224kg (OR).