Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz gave the Philippines its first Rio Olympics medal when she wins silver in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on Monday, August 8.
Diaz's medal is the country's first in 20 years in the Olympic Games.
The 25-year old athlete from Zamboanga competed in the women's 53-kilogram (kg) weightlifting division of the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Diaz' win gave her several other titles in the Philippine sports history: She's the first female athlete to win an Olympic medal for the Philippines; she's the first Filipino to win a medal in weightlifting; and she's the first non-boxer to bag a medal for the Philippines since 1936.
Diaz, who was a bronze medalist in the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships and a gold medal winner in Asia, recorded a total weight of 200 kilograms.
Initially, she failed to lift two of her three attempts and tallied just 88 kg for the 6th place in a field led by China and Chinese Taipei.
She recovered in the clean and jerk lift, managing 111 kg lift in the first attempt and then 112 kg lift her second attempt. She failed to clear 117 kg on her third attempt.
The favored athlete from Chine, Li Yajun, who was gunning for gold, failed to clear any of her three attempts at the clean and jerk lift, paving the way for Diaz to grab the silver instead of bronze medal.
Chinese-Taipei's Hsu Shu-Ching won gold medal with a total of 212 kg while Korea's Yoon Jin Hee secured bronze with 119 kg.
Diaz' road to Rio started in 2014. A 58-day training camp in China completed Diaz' preparations for the Games.
Photos: ABS-CBN
Sources: ABS-CBN | Rappler
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