Celebrated Filipino lifter Hidilyn Diaz would have to thread the proverbial eye of the needle for a second gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics following a fourth-place finish in the Asian Weightlifting Championships last Sunday in Jinju, South Korea.
Forced to move up to 59-kilogram weight class after her pet 55-kg division, where she won the country’s first-ever gold medal in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics two years ago, was scratched off the Paris Games, Diaz’s total lift of 221 kgs was way below gold medalist Lou Shifang’s 238-kg total haul.
“Hidi is now in sixth place (ranking points). She can qualify (in the Paris Olympics) but winning might be a long shot,” Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella told Daily Tribune in a telephone conversation from South Korea on Monday.
“It would be really a long, hard climb (to Paris). She is 17 kilos below the gold medalist. If you look at 238 kgs and 221 kgs that’s 17 kilos (difference).”
Diaz, who tallied 99 kgs in snatch and 122 kgs in clean and jerk, was 15 kilos in total lift below silver medalist Pei Xinyi of China who had an overall haul of 236 kgs.
Reigning Olympic champion Kuo Hsing-Chun of Chinese Taipei finished third with 230 kgs total, underscoring the toughness of the 59-kg field.
“It’s a tough category. The two winners from China are 18 years old and 22 years old and the third placer is the Olympic champion in this category in Tokyo,” Puentevella said.
“So, I think it’s going to be a tough ride to Paris for her.”
The 32-year-old Diaz is tipped to be the country’s Olympic representative in the category that allows one entry per country.
Another Filipino in Elreen Ando competed in the same division but was unsuccessful in all her three attempts of the 125 kgs in the clean and jerk after clearing 99 kgs in snatch.
Ando, just like Diaz, had to change weight category, moving down from the 64-kg class.
“To merely qualify is the goal of both lifters. Hidilyn is leading but there are three more events to watch,” the federation head said.
Still, Puentevella is hoping to send Diaz to the Summer Games along with Vanessa Sarno in women’s 71-kg category and John Ceniza in men’s 67-kg class.
Ceniza finished fifth in the Asian tourney last Saturday as he set a new Philippine record of 293-kg total lift from 128 kgs in snatch and 165 kgs in clean and jerk.
“We’re really hoping to get three qualifiers for Paris,” Puentevella said.
