JAKARTA — Third time's definitely the charm for Hidilyn Diaz.
Diaz bagged a weightlifting silver in her third Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, ending a medal drought that lasted four Summer Games. On Tuesday night, Diaz snatched an Asian Games gold medal on her third try.
“Nagkataon lang,” said Diaz the morning after her golden lift in the women’s -53 kgs category of the 18th Asian Games that put the country in the gold column of the medal tally board only three days into the Games.
Tuesday night's victory capped a zero-to-hero story for the 27-year old from Zamboanga City, who finished dead last in her first Asian Games in Guangzhou.
“I wound up dead last in my first Asian Games. In the second, I was sixth among 16 participants,” said the amiable lifter. “But this time around, I pushed myself— to the limits — and went for the gold.”
And how did the humble Philippine heroine celebrate a victory that earned her incentives amounting to at least P6 million - and more importantly put her in line for a first-ever Olympic gold medal for the country in Tokyo two years from now?
“I gobbled up,” said Diaz of the satisfying satay meal she enjoyed following the podium celebration after months of carefully watching her diet in the run-up to the Games.
“I really didn’t sleep easily, I think about 3 a.m. And I woke up at about six,” said the veteran lifter who was 14 when she was spotted in Zamboanga - and 16 when she made her Olympic debut in Beijing back in 2008.
Weightlifting federation president Monico Puentevella was all praises for Diaz, stressing the way she sacrificed a lot for the gold medal has no equal.
“She’s now a class act but how she managed to win this one is for the books. She poured in so much in training, shut out herself from socials — but at the same time made sure she continued her studies,” Puentevella said.
The morning after, Diaz said the golden feat has sunk in but the bonuses she stands to receive hasn't.
“The gold medal has sunk in, but the monetary incentives didn’t, immediately,” said Diaz, who stands to receive more than the P5M she got in bonuses after her silver-medal finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Business Management scholar at College of St. Benilde said she will invest the money in the stock market and a business she wants to put up in the future. But most of it she plans “to save for their future.”
“I want to be an inspiration to the young and up and coming athletes and tell them that we will not be national athletes all our lives and it is very important to save for our future,” she said.
Next up for Diaz is the world championships in November in Turkmenistan, but the preparation can wait. Let Hidilyn enjoy this one first.
“I’ll be up for the world, but right now, I’ll have to enjoy this one, besides my coaches told me ‘there enough time for me to rest from the sacrifices.”
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