Keen on winning Paris Olympic gold, Hidilyn Diaz to train in US, Japan

MANILA, Philippines — World champion weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo will train in the United States and Japan this year to go after that second Olympic gold medal in the 2024 Paris Games, which should seal her place as one the greatest, if not the greatest, athletes the country has produced.

“Gusto kong tsina-challenge ako. This year, mas lalo akong naging disiplinado at determinado na mag-back-to-back gold medal sa Olympics para sa Pilipinas,” said Diaz-Naranjo during Wednesday's courtesy call to Philippine Sports Commission chair Richard Bachmann.

“I will do my best for the country,” she added.

Diaz-Naranjo, who snared a golden treble in the World Championships in Bogota, Colombia a month ago, has already embraced the fact that she had to move up the weight class at 59 kilograms after her original division, the 55kg, was scrapped from the Paris calendar.

It was in the lighter class that the Zambaonga City-born icon struck the country’s historic gold in the quadrennial event in Tokyo two years ago.

She will have a chance to test the waters as she has lined up the Phnom Penh Southeast Asian Games set May 5 to 17 and the Hangzhou Asian Games slated September 23 to October 8 as among the competitions she will compete at in her busy 2023 schedule.

Meanwhile, Diaz-Naranjo lauded Bachmann for his full support to athletes.

“Masaya na na-meet ko si Chairman Bachmann kasi sabi nya nga, ‘he wants to see the athletes, siya yung pupunta mismo sa training camp ng mga athletes,” she said.

“Importante yun sa aming mga atleta na makita ang isang mataas na opisyales na sinusuportahan kami hindi lang financially, but also [giving us] the morale support that we really need. Yung makita naming nandun sya, it gives us inspiration.”