Hidilyn Diaz fought hard and ended with a fourth place finish in the women’s 55 kg class of the 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday evening (Manila time).
Nonetheless, upon her entry to the stage — and coming up with a good lift — the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist has formally booked her place in her fourth straight Summer Olympics. She also now has a chance to get the elusive gold.
Diaz missed on her first attempt at 90 kg to start the snatch, before eventually getting it on her second try. She then added four kilograms and finished with a total of 94-kg lift for the said portion, good for fourth place.
The 30-year-old lifter opened her clean and jerk round with a huge 118-kg heave, which ended up as her mark for the said portion.
A good lift at 122 kg could have brought her total to 216, and could have landed her the clean and jerk and overall bronzes. Diaz, though, could not bring it up. She had to settle for her total of 212 kg, a kilogram short of Uzbekistan’s Muattar Nabieva’s 213 kg.
Hometown bet Nabieva plucked the overall bronze and the snatch silver at 99 kg. Zulfiya Chinshanlo of Kazakhstan bagged the clean and jerk bronze with 118 kg as well.
China’s Liao Qiuyun pocketed two gold medals, taking the title of Asian Champion with a total of 222 kg on the strength of the competition’s best clean and jerk lift of 124. She also bagged the bronze in snatch.
Compatriot Li Yajun finished in second overall with 221 kg, along with the silver in clean and jerk (120 kg) and the gold in snatch (101 kg).
Diaz’s cousin Mary Flor took three silver medals in women’s 45 kg to put the Philippines on the board. She ended with a total lift of 135 kg, with 60 kg on snatch and 75 kg on clean and jerk.
India’s Jhilli Dalabahera swept the golds with a total of 157 kg off 69 kg on snatch and 88 kg on clean and jerk.
On the other hand, 2019 silver medalist John Ceniza ended in third place after Group B of men’s 61 kg with a total of 245 kg. The 23-year-old lifter registered 110 kg on snatch and 135 kg on clean and jerk.
Group A of men’s 55 kg is set to start as of publishing.
Margaret Colonia will continue Team Pilipinas’ campaign as she steps on the stage on Monday at 3:55 p.m. here in Tashkent.
