The Tokyo gold medalist is looking for an even better finish in her next tournaments.
Hidilyn Diaz might have been unable to bring home a medal in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Jinju, South Korea, but the Olympic gold medalist definitely made strides in the right direction.
Diaz finished fourth in a star-filled competition, showing that she has what it takes to compete in her new weight class.
In an Instagram post, Diaz’s husband and strength and conditioning coach Julius Naranjo posted a video of the the 32-year-old Zamboanga City native back in training once more.
“Back home and we are more determined than ever,” said Naranjo in the post. “It’s always great to see some of the best athletes lift and not only are these 3 motivated, but I myself am more motivated to continue to push hard and to have them find success.”
Diaz has already expressed her confidence in making it to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The Tokyo gold medalist, though, knows that there’s still plenty of work to be done.
Diaz and her team know that the Olympic qualification for Paris will be total weight lifted, and not points won; hence, expect more consistent and even better performances from the Filipina weightlifter in her next tournaments as she looks to make it to her fifth Olympiad next year.
(MDB)