Hidilyn Diaz makes history as a silver medalist for the Philippines at the Rio Olympics 2016
(MNLtoday.ph) – Hidilyn Diaz ended the country’s 20-year dry spell in the Olympics by bagging a silver medal off with a score of 200kg at the women’s 53-kg division in weightlifting on August 7 (August 8 in Manila) at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“I expected to win the bronze going to this competition, na-shock ako nung sinabi sa akin na na-zero yung China.”
China failed to record a lift in the clean and jerk, thus Diaz climbing a spot higher at the podium.
The Philippines last snared an Olympic medal when Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco won silver in boxing at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Diaz is the first Filipino to win an Olympic medal since 1996, the first Filipino to medal in Olympic weightlifting, the first Filipina to earn an Olympic medal, the first non-boxer to medal for the country since 1936, and the first Olympic medalist from Mindanao.
