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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Hidilyn Diaz embraces pressure, eyes gold medal in Tokyo Olympics

Hidilyn Diaz embraces pressure, eyes gold medal in Tokyo Olympics

Published Jul 3, 2021 09:15 am

Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz trains with "HD Team" Chinese coach Kaiwen Gao in Malaysia in preparation for this year's Tokyo Olympics. (Screengrab from Diaz documentary “Let’s Go HD!” by Kick-Start Coffee Brewed Awakening)

Instead of dodging questions regarding chances of winning the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz said she has learned to accept that this is what fellow Filipinos expect from her.

From being hesitant, Diaz said she is more confident now.

Five years after earning the silver medal in the Rio Olympics in Brazil, Diaz said winning the gold medal in the women’s 55-kilogram category this time in Japan is her main target.

“Kinakabahan ako na everytime na naririnig ko na ‘gold na yan’ – naisip ko na kailangan ko embrace na ito ang destiny ko, kailangan ko i-claim para manalo ako,” said Diaz in Episode 1 of a documentary entitled “Let’s Go HD!” shown Thursday, July 1 on the Facebook page of Kick-Start Coffee Brewed Awakening.

Diaz said that the four-part series is a “video diary” of a natural, free flowing and heartfelt videos where she will be showing the struggles, the highs and lows of being an elite athlete, and glimpse of her training in Malaysia where she and “HD Team” has been in training camp since February of 2020.

Diaz said that after the Summer Games in Brazil, she has learned to handle the pressure well and the expectations of people too for her to deliver the gold medal in this Tokyo edition of the Olympics.

Part of that confidence she now has is the type of training she's been getting under “HD Team” led by Chinese mentor Kaiwen Gao, strength and conditioning mentor Julius Naranjo, as well as sports nutritionist Jeaneth Aro.

“We’re doing our best, to make our training more productive,” said Diaz, who opted to train abroad to be more focused, which she feels she wont get if she is here training in Manila since her focus would be divided to other things.

The 30-year-old native of Zamboanga City will be making her fourth straight Olympics in Japan, and in a sport where she – even at a young age when she first took weightlifting at 11 years-old.

“Nag-start ako sa weightlifting noong 2002. Bakit ako sumali sa weightlifting? In weightlifting I feel like I belong,” said Diaz, who at that age have also tried basketball and volleyball.

“This is the gift that God gave me. This is the talent that God gave me and eto din yung oportunidad na binigay sa akin ni God to influence other people during this time – it’s not time to give up.”

Diaz said it inspires her to give her best in training camp and do better in this Olympics in Japan to show fellow Filipinos that despite the struggles because of the COVID-19, there are enough reasons to get back on track and rise up and be ready for the challenge.

The 10-minute per episode documentary will be shown again on Thursday for Episode 2 on July 8, while Episode 3 is on July 15, and Episode 4 is set July 22 as Kick-Start Coffee will be the “digital cheerer” in her quest for the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.

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