Diaz bags 3 world bronzes, eyes Rio

MANILA, Philippines - Hidilyn Diaz snared three bronze medals in the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships in Houston, Texas yesterday to boost her hopes of earning a third Olympic appearance in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next year.

Diaz, 24, took the bronze in the snatch after she lifted 96 kilos and then pocketed another in clean and jerk where she ended up with a 117-kilo lift.

Diaz’s total in snatch and clean and jerk of 213 kilos was also good enough to cop the two-time Olympian a third bronze.

The Zamboanga lass actually ended up tied with Hsu Shung  Ching of Chinese Taipei in the snatch but the former took the bronze via tiebreak.

Hsu took the gold by edging China’s Chen Xiaoting via tiebreaker.

Diaz, who captured three gold medals in the Asian Weightlifting Championship in Phuket, Thailand last September, is trying to earn enough points to earn a slot in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

It was the Philippines’ fourth bronze in this event after Nestor Colonia picked up one in the clean and jerk of the men’s 56-kg division.

Weightlifting’s honorary chair Monico Puentevella said Diaz and Colonia have a strong chance to make it to the Olympics.

“There will still be computations but having been a former Asian Weightlifting president, I believe both will qualify for Rio,” he said.