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[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’ Diaz eyes world lifting title’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Months after capturing a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz will plunge back to action as she competes in the World Weightlifting Championship in Anaheim, California.
This marks the Zamboanga City native’s third time to compete in the prestigious tournament organized by the International Weightlifting Federation and slated to be held in early 2017.
The first time Diaz played was in Paris, France in 2011, when she finished sixth, while the second time was in Houston, Texas last year when she won the bronze medal in the women’s 53kg division.
The bronze medal feat helped her qualify to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she settled for a silver medal by a slim margin.
Aside from the tournament in California, Diaz will see action in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Meanwhile the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Weightlifting Association (PWA) extended their full support to Diaz’s bid to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Hidilyn Diaz is in top form. I am optimistic she can win the elusive Olympic gold in Tokyo,” weightlifting head coach and PWA vice president Elbert Atilano said in a statement.
“Diaz is a jewel in weightlifting,” said PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez. “PSC will support her until she achieves the ultimate goal of winning the gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”/PN
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