By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz officially marked her 2021 Tokyo Olympics participation after setting foot in the Asian Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
No matter what the outcome of the tournament is, Diaz will automatically earn her spot in the Tokyo Olympics after completing the five-tournament rule to clinch berth.
Due to the uncertainties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympic committee made changes in the format of the participant’s qualifications and based it on how they perform in the recognized Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQT).
Regardless of Diaz’s tournament result in the women’s 55-kg event, she will still earn a ticket to the Olympics and can opt not to join in the remaining OQT qualifiers sanctioned by the Tokyo committee.
Diaz joined fellow PH athletes Carlos Yulo, Eumir Felix Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam, and EJ Obiena in completing the five-tourney OQT.
Diaz will also seek her first Olympic gold medal after failing to do so in her past three stints; 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
It was a close call for Diaz five years ago when she was inches away from clinching the gold medal but came up short and settled for the second-place finish.
