MANILA — Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz, alongside the Philippine weightlifting team, is embarking on a journey to Phuket, Thailand, for the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup, which holds significance as the final qualifying event for the upcoming Paris Olympics later this year.
Diaz, accompanied by her husband-coach Julius Naranjo, was seen at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, as revealed in a recent social media post.
Ranked 8th in the women’s 59-kilogram division according to the IWF’s Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Rankings (OQR), Diaz aims to solidify her position after her commendable performance at last year’s IWF World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she lifted a total of 224 kg.
Currently, China’s Luo Shifang leads this category.
Naranjo shared their excitement on Instagram, stating, “And we are off to our final Olympic qualifier in Phuket. It has been an extraordinary journey for us, and TeamHD is excited to represent the country.”
Joining Diaz in Phuket are fellow Olympian Elreen Ando, Rosegie Ramos in the women’s 49 kg category, Vanessa Sarno, Kristel Macrohon in the women’s 71 kg, and John Febuar Ceniza in the men’s 61 kg division.
According to the IWF’s OQR, Ceniza ranks 6th in the men’s 61 kg, Ramos stands 9th in the women’s 49 kg, and Sarno holds 5th place in the women’s 71 kg.
Ando and Macrohon may not have appeared in the Olympic qualification ranking list, but Ando holds the 8th position in the IWF’s World Ranking list for the women’s 59 kg.
Both lifters, along with Lovely Inan in the women’s 49 kg, are part of the long list meeting the “event participation criteria” of the qualification system, as per the IWF.
(By el Amigo/MNM)
