Rio 2016: Hidilyn Diaz gives the Philippines their first Olympic medal in two decades

Agence France-Presse| August 8, 2016| Updated: August 8, 2016 04:52 PM

  Hidilyn Diaz, of the Philippines, laughs as she leaves the stage after a lift in the women’s 53kg weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Hidilyn Diaz sprung a major surprise in the Philippines by winning a weightlifting silver medal in Rio — the country’s first Olympic medal for 20 years, officials said Monday.

Sports analysts in the Philippines had not expected the 1.54-metre (5ft 1/2in) tall Diaz to bag a medal at the 2016 Games after coming up empty in 2008 and 2012 games.

"We had high hopes with other sports. So (Cruz’s medal) is a surprise. A lot of people didn’t expect she would take a medal," said Ronel Abrenica, executive-director of the Philippine Sports Commission.

But Abrenica said he noticed something from the 25-year-old, who became the first woman from the Philippines ever to win an Olympic medal.

"I was watching her before. I saw her sincerity and determination. You could see it in the way she talks. She was determined to win. She had the fire in the belly," he told AFP.
"Before she set off (for Rio), she told me, ‘at least, I can get a bronze’. So this (silver) is a bonus," said Abrenica.



 source: Presse,A.F. ( August 8, 2016) Rio 2016: Hidilyn Diaz gives the Philippines their first Olympic medal in two decades.The National Sports. Retrieved from :http://www.thenational.ae/sport/olympics/rio-2016-hidilyn-diaz-gives-the-philippines-their-first-olympic-medal-in-two-decades on August 19,2016.