HIDILYN Diaz settled for a pair of bronze in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.
The 2016 Rio De Janeiro silver medalist bagged the bronze in the clean and jerk and the same medal color in total lift (combined clean and jerk and snatch) of the women's 55 kg class held Friday night at the Eastern National Sports Training Center.
Diaz had a lift of 121 in the clean and jerk to bag the bronze, but hurt her chances for the gold in total when she only finished eight in snatch with a lift of 93 kg.
The 28-year-old Diaz from Zamboanga actually fared better during the 2017 edition of the meet in Anaheim, California after bagging the silver in the clean and jerk and the bronze in total lift although competing in her pet event of 53 kg.
Her campaign in the meet as she bids for another shot in next year's Tokyo Olympics is being supported by MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF) headed by Al S. Panlilio.
MVPSF Executive Director Ryan Gregorio accompanied the 10-man PH delegation to the meet that ends Sept. 27.
As expected, world record holder Liao Qiuyun of China bagged the gold in clean and jerk when she broke her previous record (128) by lifting 129 kgs.
She made it a double gold by topping the total lift with 227 kg. after bagging the silver in the snatch (98 kg).
Compatriot Zhang Wanqiong bagged the gold in snatch (99 kgs), but only lifted 123 kg in clean and jerk (silver) to take the silver in total lift (222 kg).
Uzbekistan's Muattar Nabieva came third in snatch (96 kg) to get the bronze.
Aside from Diaz, also competing are Filipinos Nestor Colonia, Mary Flor Diaz, Elien Rose Perez, Margaret Colonia, Elreen Ann Ando, Kristel Macrohon, John Cenizar, Dave Pecaldo, and Jeffrey Garcia.
Coaching the team also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) are Ramon Solis and Greg Colonia.
A total of 600 athletes from 100 countries are seeing action in this qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Thai lifters including Rio Olympics gold medalists Sopita Tanasan and Sukanya Srisurat are not competing in the meet after failing the drug tests during last year's edition of the world meet in Turkmenistan.
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