At A Glance
- Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo vowed to continue her weightlifting career after falling short of her bid to qualify for the Paris Games.
Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo vowed to continue her weightlifting career after falling short of her bid to qualify for the Paris Games.

In a long Instagram post on Thursday, April 11, the 33-year-old Diaz offered sweet words for the Filipino athletes who have secured tickets to Paris.
“Congratulations to all the weightlifters around the world who qualified in #Paris2024, especially the Filipino Athletes, and to the athletes who did their best in the last Olympic Qualifying Competition,” she wrote.
“The result was not according to what I wanted and planned. But Thy will be done. It was not my day and #Paris2024 is not for me,” Diaz added.
The journey to this year's Olympics may have ended for the Zamboanga native, but all is not lost for the Filipina champion.
“It’s the end of my #Paris2024 Olympic journey. I will still lift, continue to lift, and inspire young Filipino Athletes to become Olympic Champions,” Diaz said.
Diaz made history after clinching the women's 55-kilogram category in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. She beat world record holder Qiuyun Liao of China in an intense final battle that was witnessed by millions through online platforms back home.
Unfortunately, her event was scrapped from the list of the Paris Games.
Competing in a higher weight class at 59kgs, Diaz struggled to find her mark and fell to 11th place at the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand which served as the last Olympic qualifying tournament. Interestingly, Elreen Ando placed seventh and earned the precious spot through the official world rankings.
Diaz expressed her gratitude to her loved ones after this difficult moment of her career.
“I realized what is forever: and it is not FAME, not money, not even winning or losing. but God, family, and real friends. These are my FOREVER. Thank you for your heartfelt messages of love and support,” Diaz wrote.
“Winning is not everything; It is being on the platform and taking on the challenges that give inspiration to other athletes. Thank you to the athletes who messaged me and said that I inspired them. I served and will continue to serve my purpose in weightlifting, as I inspire many athletes to dream high, take the challenge, and work hard to achieve their dreams and never give up. Just LIFT! You can do it,” she added.