MANILA, Philippines — After ending the Philippines' 97-year-old gold medal drought in the Summer Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz remains wary if she can do it once again when the Paris Olympics rolls around in 2023.
Having already competed in four Olympic editions since 2008, Diaz isn't sure if her body — and her mental strength — can take another try at the world's biggest sporting stage.
"Pinagiisipan ko pa po," said Diaz during the Philippine Sportswriters Association's online forum on Tuesday.
"Kasi syempre additional three years of sacrifices din po yun sa training and medyo mahirap kasi yung preparation," she admitted.
Preparing for any competition isn't easy, and with a stage as big as the Summer Games, the toll it takes is no joke.
For the Olympics in Tokyo, Diaz had to buck homesickness after being stuck in Malaysia for more than a year for her training due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Being all too familiar with what it takes, physically and mentally, to qualify and compete well in the Games, Diaz is remaining reserved for her sake, and for the rest of her team as well.
"Titignan ko pa din kung san kaya ng katawan ko, san kaya din ng coaches na magsakripisyo din, ako din, kung kaya pa magsacrifice ng training," said Diaz.
The mentality of wanting to win, regardless of the cost, is also something that Diaz wants to see in herself first before committing to try and qualify for her fifth Olympics stint.
"At the end of the day, yung mindset nandun pa din ba? Yung pagmamahal andun pa din ba? Kaya parin ba magsakripisyo?," said Diaz.
If she feels the same fire she did this year, when she wrote the history books for Philippine sports, Diaz says expect to see her in France.
"Kung makita ko yung lakas ko, yung [parang] performance ko this year, kaya pa," she said.