HIDILYN Diaz is set to embark on a challenging road to the 2024 Paris Olympics following her conquest in the IWF World Championships in Bogota, Colombia.
Diaz ruled the women's 55kg category on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time) to finally claim the world title to add to her Tokyo Olympics gold, bagging the gold medals in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total with 207 kilograms total.
[READ: Hidilyn wins hat-trick of gold medals at world championships]
But by default, this will be the final time that Diaz will be competing in the weight category where she won gold in the Tokyo Olympics one year before since the 55kg division has been scrapped for the Olympic Games.
Although there is no official announcement yet from her camp, Diaz is expected to move up in weight instead of down going to the Paris Olympics.
The lowest Diaz can go down is at 49kg, which is highly unlikely.
“This is my final lift at 55kgs category and I’m happy to end it as IWF World Champion,” wrote Diaz on her social media accounts.
The 31-year-old competed at 58kgs earlier in her career including in the 2008 Beijing Olympics where she was given a wild card entry and finished last. She is now set to give the division another try in what is likely her final Olympics.
The Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee hailed the latest achievement of Diaz.
“This recent breakthrough of Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz is proof that Filipinos are strong and talented individuals. We are truly grateful to Team HD for this is a result of hard work- a combination of determination, continuous training and confidence,” said POC president Abraham Tolentino.

"Greatness comes when special people congregate and unite for a common goal. With the help of sports community and Hidilyn's effort, truly her talent is uniquely a force to be reckoned with. We firmly believe that our preparation for the Paris Olympics is timely."
PSC chairman Noli Eala said: “Hidilyn has proven once again that the fire in her heart to be second to none in her field continues to burn and remains the benchmark by which every weightlifter and Filipino athlete must measure themselves against."
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