By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
After becoming the first-ever Filipina athlete to deliver a gold medal in the Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz’s achievements and name will forever be immortalized when the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) named her as the newest member of their Hall of Fame list.
The Tokyo Olympics gold medalist is set to be inducted in a ceremony hosted by the PSA at the Manila Hotel on January 27, 2025.
It was 2016 when Diaz captured the world’s respect after clinching the silver medal during the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Summer Games.
Eager to finally get that elusive gold medal, Diaz worked hard in the next four years and brought pride and honor to the PHL when she pulled off her golden lift in Tokyo.
Diaz stood tall in the women’s 55 kg category and lifted a total of 224 kg, just a kg more than China’s Liao Qiuyun who took the silver medal.
The four-time Olympian weightlifter Diaz cleared 97kg in the snatch and an Olympic record of 127kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 224kg.
Diaz will be joining an elite class of Hall Famers who were already inducted in the past years, namely: Manny Pacquiao, Efren “Bata” Reyes, Paeng Nepomuceno, Lydia de Vega, Eugene Torres, and Bong Coo.
The 33-year-old living legend will share the spotlight together with Carlos Yulo, the country’s only two-time Olympic gold medalist who dominated the recent edition in Paris.
Yulo was hailed as the 2024 PSA Athlete of the Year after captivating the world gymnastics scene in both the floor exercise and the men’s vault events.
During his pet event at the floor exercise, Yulo scored an impressive 15.000 tally which was more than enough for his first gold medal in the 2024 Olympics.
Meanwhile, in the men’s vault, Yulo hauled 15.116 points from the judges, capping off his routine with a flawless finish.
