Hidilyn Diaz became the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold medalist on Monday, winning the women’s 55 kg category for weightlifting at Tokyo 2020.
In her fourth and probably last Olympics, the 30-year-old lifted a combined weight of 224 kg, an Olympic record.
After completing her final lift in a very close competition, Diaz held her hands to her face and burst into tears before embracing her coaches and clutching at the medallion around her neck.
On the podium, a still-tearful Diaz stood to attention saluting as she belted out her country’s national anthem at the top of her voice.
Diaz competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics where she was the youngest competitor in the women’s 58-kg category.
She was a bronze medalist in the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand and achieved 10th place at the 2006 Asian Games in the 53-kilogram class.
While a student of the Universidad de Zamboanga representing her university, she won two golds and one silver in the Asian Youth/Junior Weightlifting Championship held in Jeonju, South Korea.
In the 2016 Summer Olympics, Diaz won the silver medal in the women’s 53-kg weight division, ending the Philippines’ 20-year Olympic medal drought.
She is also the first Filipino woman to win an Olympic medal of any color.
