Hidilyn Diaz in Uzbekistan to secure Tokyo Olympic berth

MANILA, Philippines — Hidilyn Diaz has arrived in Uzbekistan for the Asian Weightlifting Championships on Sunday.

After spending 14 months in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where she had been holed up due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 30-year-old is looking to book her spot in her fourth straight Olympics.

Diaz will be competing in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on April 16 to 25.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hidilyn Diaz OLY (@hidilyndiaz)

The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist will only need to compete to book her spot in the Japan Summer Games. She only has compete in six events to qualify.

Once Diaz formally qualifies for the Games, she will be headed to her fourth straight Olympics after first making it the 2008 Beijing Games.

Diaz asked for prayers for her safety and a good performance in the Olympic qualifiers when she left Malaysia on Saturday.

"14 months of waiting. See you Uzbekistan! Represent the Philippines together with TeamHD in Asian Weightlifting Championships 2021. Pray for our safety and hope the team will perform well in Olympic Qualifying," she wrote on Instagram.

Diaz is one of the country's top bets to bring home the elusive Olympic gold medal come the quadrennial event in July this year.