Meet Hidilyn Diaz, Weightlifter Who Won Phillipines Its First-Ever Gold In 2020

Hidilyn Diaz made history at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics by bringing home to the Philippines, the first-ever gold medal at the Olympics in history. The weightlifter also became the first-ever Filipina to win a medal in the 55kg category in the women's weightlifting event in the Olympics. This medal at Tokyo was Diaz's second Olympic win, the first being a silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Diaz is proud to be a Filipina weightlifter and has reportedly made it a point to wear lipstick during training sessions and tournaments to advocate that, yes, women can lift weights and big ones. 

Who Is Hidilyn Diaz?

Hidilyn Diaz's inspiring story takes her from the rural Philippines to her becoming a record-breaking athlete at the Olympics and the epitome of sport and determination in her country. She has been competing in the sport for more than two decades, her first being a local competition in 2002 where she won gold with the help of her mentors, including Filipino Olympian weightlifter Ramon Solis.

She represented the Philippines internationally for the first time at only 16 years old, in 2007. She participated in the Southeast Asian Games that were held that year, securing bronze in the 58 kg category.

The next year saw her entry into the biggest sporting event in the world, marking the beginning of her already flourishing career. Thus, she competed in the 58kg category in women's weightlifting in the 2008 Beijing Olympics where she placed 11th out of 12 participants.

Diaz continued to enter international competitions such as the 2011 and 2013 SEA Games where she secured second position, and the Asian Weightlifting Championship in 2015 where she finished at the top. Her performance at the 2012 London Olympics, though disappointing, only made Diaz work harder than ever before and set her up for her victory at the 2016 Olympics. 

Diaz's Journey To The Paris Olympics

At Rio, Diaz secured a silver medal, which became the second-ever silver medal to belong to the Philippines, and the first to be won by a woman. She beat two high-ranked weightlifters Hsu Shu-Ching and Li Yajun to achieve this feat. 

Diaz quickly became a national treasure and the representation and goal of what Phillipinian sport should look like. Her Olympic streak wasn't over though, as Diaz went on to achieve what is perhaps the biggest achievement of her weightlifting career. As she secured gold in the 55kg category of women's weightlifting at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she made the legacy of both Filipino sport and women proud, bringing in the first Olympic gold the Philippines has seen in the history of the Games. This win has encouraged more Filipino women to participate in the sport, disregarding that it is a predominantly male-dominated one. 

Diaz will be participating in the Paris Olympics this year, as her fans cheer her on, expecting her to outshine all her previous achievements. The trendsetter told the Olympic media team that she expects this to be her most ''memorable'' Olympics, and possibly her last one. Diaz is currently 33 years old and will be 37 by the time the 2028 LA Olympics roll around.

"It's a big responsibility (to be Olympic champion) because I have to influence the (other) athletes to do their best," she told the official Paris Olympics reporting website. "It's a good moment for Philippine sports. I'm so happy to see that: young athletes, young Filipinos, are engaging in sports. We're showing that we're strong, that we're very good in sports.''