WHATEVER the result was, Hidilyn Diaz left it all to the Lord.
And His will delivered the Philippines' first gold medal in the Olympics, zooming to the top of the women's 55 kg weightlifting category in a pulsating finale against world record holder Liao Qiuyun of China on Monday.
Coach Jeaneth Aro, Diaz's nutritionist, shared a brief glimpse of what was happening in Team HD as they prophesized on the end of their journey.
"As we were travelling to the weightlifting competition venue yesterday afternoon, every member of Team HD began with the end in mind. And that end is not the expectation of the winning the gold medal but rather of complete surrender to God," she posted on her Facebook account.
"We acknowledged the hard work that every member of Team HD has put in but we also completely understood that none of the technic (sic) and skills training, the strength and conditioning training, the mental skills training and weight cut/recovery nutrition strategies will ever compare to the all sustaining power of the Almighty God!"
She continued: "Trust with each other is the foundation but faith in God is the cornerstone. This is the truth and the reason, nothing more and nothing less."
True enough, it all culminated in Diaz lifting an Olympic record of 127 kilograms in clean and jerk to top the contest with a record 224, ending the Philippines' quest for gold in dramatic fashion inside the Tokyo International Forum.
Not even their late dispatch, with Diaz taking until midnight to get through all the required protocols, could dampen the amazing night that was for the Zamboangueña, who after four runs in the Summer Games can finally think of retirement.
It's a fitting finish for Diaz's team, which has gone through a lot of hardships and controversies that necessitated them to even plea for help just to be able to fund her trainings in Malaysia through the COVID-19 pandemic.
And in the end, it was all worth it.
More than anything, Team HD is only filled with gratitude to all of those who believed and never wavered.
"Sa lahat po ng mga taong naniwala at tumulong sa Team HD na binubo ni Coach Kaiwen Gao, Coach Julius Naranjo, Doc Karen Trinidad, at ako po, kami po ay taos pusong nagpapasalamat sa inyo," said Aro.
"Para sa ating inang bayan."
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