FLAG RAISER

HIDILYN DIAZ is looking forward to the next chapter of her life, which includes starting her own family and, unsurprisingly, working hard for the privilege to represent the country again.

- CAROL RH MALASIG

The sound of the buzzer was deafening as the words “No Lift” came on screen. It’s a sound Hidilyn Diaz has heard many times before and while it was normally followed by deafening cheers, it was different this time. With much dignity, Diaz smiled and gave a small wave and a bow to the crowd as she left the platform. It was that moment that signaled the end and, somehow, the beginning of something new.

“I could give a lot of excuses, but Paris just wasn’t for me,” Hidilyn says with a smile that was both sure and serene. The weightlifter, who won Gold in the 55-kilogram weight class in Tokyo in 2020, missed her chance to qualify for her fifth consecutive Olympics at the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup held in Phuket, Thailand, this April. Diaz, who has competed in every Olympic event since 2008, left many disappointed when they learned she won’t be participating in this year’s Summer Games.

“I haven’t seen the video of my performance in Phuket,” Diaz admits. “But I remember that at that time, the only thing on my mind is that it’s done. Olympic qualifiers are long and arduous. You have to be in the top 10 for several competitions.” As she exited the platform, she knew that her journey to compete in Paris had come to a screeching halt. She gave the crowd a smile, a wave, and a dignified bow. “I’m still happy because I did not give up. I showed up and I did my best.”

Recovering from an injury at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix in Doha and moving up to the 59-kilogram weight class after the Olympics scrapped the 55-kilogram event are two key factors experts cited for Diaz’s struggles in Phuket. For the weightlifter, however, these setbacks are already behind her. “Instead of focusing on what went wrong, I choose to move on from it.”