MANILA, Philippines - Long before Hidilyn Diaz was the toast of the Philippine sports scene, she was the one selected out of a pool of 11 Philippine athletes to hold the flag at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
Diaz, then in her second Olympic stint, competed in the women's 58kg division, cleared 97kg in her snatch attempt but failed to convert a success lift in the clean and jerk. Leading up to the 2016 Games, Diaz cleaned up her diet, implemented stretching into her routine and moved down to the 53kg weight class.
The adjustments paid off as she registered total lifts of 200kg, good enough for silver, to end the Philippines' 20-year wait for its tenth Olympic medal.
{source}<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nz8scGIFxyA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>{/source}
The sight of Diaz breaking into tears in 2012 after failing to lift 118kg in a clean and jerk attempt should serve as a reminder that past shortcomings can set up future successes. – Rappler.com