Jakarta — Hidilyn Diaz added an Asian Games gold medal to her growing legend by topping the Women’s 53kg Division of the Weightlifting Competitions at the Jakarta International Expo Hall here on Tuesday night.
The silver medalist of the Rio Olympics submitted 92 kgs in the snatch and 115 in the Clean & Jerk for a total of 207, just enough to crush the challenge of Turkmenistan’s Kristina Shermetova, who had a 206 total for the silver.
“Grateful ako kay God na naiuwi ko ang gold medal na inaasam nating mga Filipino. Napatunayan ko ulit na kayang kaya nating manalo sa Asian Games at sa Olympics,” said Diaz, who added that the pressure to win in these games nearly consumed her.
“Sa Olympics, no one expected me to win, pero sa Asian Games, everyone expected me to,” added Diaz, who in November will be shooting for a slot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she hopes to repeat her Asiad feat.
Diaz came in second place behind Shermetova in the snatch, 92-93, which was a ploy designed by coach Tony Agustin.
“Ang plano talaga namin, bantayan lang si Shermetova. Dahil pagdating sa clean and jerk, malakas si Hidilyn,” said Agustin.
The Turkmenistan bet made a lift of 113kg in her second attempt. Then, Diaz surprised her with a lift of 115, which the Filipina successfully completed. The final tally was pegged after their second attempts.
“Ginagawa ni Hidilyn sa practice ung 115, kaya alam naming mabubuhat niya,” added Agustin.
Behind by one, Shermetova tried 116kg, but failed, resulting in a bad lift. Diaz didn’t bother to lift her submitted lift of 117 kgs.
Taking the bronze medal was Khambao Surodchana of Thailand. Another Filipina bet, Ma. Dessa Delos Santos placed eighth with a total of 180 kgs.
Diaz’s gold catapulted the Philippine Delegation to 14th overall in the medal standings with one gold and four bronze medals barely two days into the Asiad featuring Asia’s best athletes.
With the gold dangling around her neck, the 2016 Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Year also stands to receive a cash windfall of P6 million — P2 million from the Philippine Olympic Committee, P2 million from the government through Republic Act 10699, which expands the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes and coaches and P1 million each from the Siklab Foundation and the Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hoong.