Hidilyn Diaz recently failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, outlasted by Elreen Ando during the 2024 IWF World Cup’s Women’s 59 kg event. With the removal of the 53 and 55 kg weight classes come the quadrennial competition in July 2024, Diaz moved up to the 59 kg category—a transition that did not come easy for the 33-year-old.
Instagram: @hidilyndiaz and @dockarentrinidad
Despite failing to defend her title, the country’s sole Olympic gold medalist appears to be at peace with the outcome, motioning her gratitude to her supporters and support for the Filipino athletes who have qualified for the Games.
“The result was not according to what I wanted and planned. But Thy will be done. It was not my day and #Paris2024 is not for me…We did great, we fought hard, and we did our best for our country,” Diaz mentioned.
Claiming the tournament’s silver and gold medals during her previous two appearances, Diaz acknowledges her position to inspire the next generation of Filipino weightlifters. According to her, she doesn’t define herself by fame or accomplishment. Instead, she chooses to devote the off-season to spending time with her family and investing in herself.
“This moment is for me to learn new skills – join classes and workshops to learn to cook and bake. I have long wanted to take culinary courses since I was 22 years old, and now, I will not just imagine doing pasta, pizza, and kare-kare, I will bake and cook some for my friends and family,” she writes.
“I will also learn to do business and invest myself in education to be a better sports leader. I have a lot of things to learn in life,” she added.
While there is no timetable yet for when Hidilyn Diaz plans to resume training, she appears certain about returning to the sport and giving back to the community. She, along with her husband/trainer Julius Naranjo disclosed plans for a fundraiser centered on the future of the sport through their HD Weightlifting Academy.
