1. Hidilyn Diaz holds two Olympic records in weightlifting for her performance at the women's 55 kg category for weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
39 Facts About Hidilyn Diaz
1. 2.
Hidilyn Diaz competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, where she was the youngest competitor in the women's 58-kg category.
3.
Hidilyn Francisco Diaz is the fifth of six children of Eduardo and Emelita Diaz.
4.
Hidilyn Diaz's father was a tricycle driver before becoming a farmer and a fisherman.
5.
Hidilyn Diaz grew up wanting to be a banker and trying several sports, like basketball and volleyball.
6.
Hidilyn Diaz then stopped attending the university as a third year irregular student as she found her degree unsuitable for her.
7.
In January 2017, Hidilyn Diaz received a scholarship to study business management at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
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Gang Badoy 8.
In 2019, Hidilyn Diaz took a leave of absence from her schooling while she focused on preparation for the Olympics after winning the Asian Games.
9.
In 2020, Hidilyn Diaz re-enrolled into online classes because the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
10.
In July 2023, Hidilyn Diaz graduated from Saint Benilde and earned her business management degree.
11.
In October 2024, Hidilyn Diaz enrolled in a short course, the Athlete Career Transition Sports Ethics and Integrity at KU Leuven in partnership with the International Olympic Committee Solidarity in Belgium.
12.
Hidilyn Diaz had to do part-time work to fund her transportation to a local gymnasium.
13.
Hidilyn Diaz went on to compete in various local and national competitions and secured support from the local government.
14.
Hidilyn Diaz became part of the Philippine national weightlifting team at age 13.
15.
Hidilyn Diaz was selected as a wild card entry to the Beijing Olympics by the Philippine Weightlifting Association in early 2008.
16.
Hidilyn Diaz was ranked ninth in her event heading to the Olympics.
17.
Hidilyn Diaz was one of two competitors to end with an official result of "Did not finish" in the event.
18.
Hidilyn Diaz participated in the women's 53 kg event in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
19.
Hidilyn Diaz won a silver in the 2019 Asian Championship, and another gold in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila.
20.
On July 26,2021, Hidilyn Diaz won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
21.
Hidilyn Diaz struggled with her mental health during this ordeal, especially with the postponement of the 2020 Olympics, and credited her team, including sports psychologist Dr Karen Katrina Trinidad and Project: Steady with trauma therapist Gang Badoy Capati for her well-being.
22.
Hidilyn Diaz kept busy during her training overseas during COVID-19 lockdown by cooking, attending meetings, and studying.
23.
On May 20,2022, Hidilyn Diaz won her second gold medal win during the 31st Southeast Asian Games.
24.
Hidilyn Diaz made her competitive debut in the 59kg division at the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships in South Korea.
25.
In December 2024, Hidilyn Diaz has considered attempting to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Olympics.
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Hidilyn Diaz was recruited into the Philippine Air Force through the military arm's Direct Enlistment Program in 2013.
27.
Hidilyn Diaz was initially assigned to the Air Force Special Service Group.
28.
Hidilyn Diaz was given an Air Force Specialty Code skill in recreation in weightlifting.
29.
Hidilyn Diaz was a recipient of a Military Merit Medal for organizing PAF events and a Presidential Citation Unit Badge.
30.
When Hidilyn Diaz was training for her stint at the 2016 Summer Olympics, she was assigned to PAF Personnel Management Center on a temporary basis.
31.
The extent of the promotion was initially not disclosed but it was later reported that Hidilyn Diaz was promoted to the rank of Airwoman First Class.
32.
Hidilyn Diaz was consecutively promoted to the rank of Sergeant after the 2018 Asian Games.
33.
Hidilyn Diaz is a devout Catholic and credits her faith with inspiring her athletic achievements.
34.
Hidilyn Diaz is married to Julius Naranjo, a former weightlifter who competed for Guam in international competitions and a professional weightlifting coach, a strength and conditioning coach, and filmmaker at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
35.
Hidilyn Diaz initially found the allegation laughable, and numerous government officials came to her defense, saying the inclusion of her name and that of fellow athlete Gretchen Ho was ridiculous, but Diaz eventually came to the realization that the inclusion of her name was a threat to her safety and that of her family.
36.
Hidilyn Diaz's life leading to her silver medal win in the 2016 Summer Olympics was depicted in an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya, a drama anthology series, aired on September 24,2016.
37.
On February 14,2017, Hidilyn Diaz was awarded as the Athlete of the Year of the Philippine Sportswriters Association.
38.
Hidilyn Diaz is the recipient of two honors from the Philippine House of Representatives; the Congressional Medals of Distinction in 2016 and the Congressional Medal of Excellence in 2021.
39.
The CME, intended for Filipino Olympic gold medalists, was instituted by the Congress' lower house after Hidilyn Diaz won the first ever gold medal for the country in the 2020 Summer Olympics.