TOP Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz broke the gold medal drought for the Philippines at the18th Asian Games in Indonesia on Tuesday night, topping the women’s 53 kg weightlifting event at the Jakarta International Expo.
A silver medallist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, Ms. Diaz delivered the golden performance in the ongoing Asiad by edging out Kristian Shermetova of Turmekistan for the top spot.
Ms. Diaz lifted a total of 207 kg to Ms. Shermetova’s 206 on the strength of a 115-kg lift in the clean and jerk to overhaul her deficit in the snatch where she lifted 92 kg to the Turkmenistan lifter’s 93 kg.
Ms. Shermetova initially lifted 113 kg in the clean and jerk and tried to salvage the win by attempting to lift 116 kg in her third and final attempt but could not pull it off, handing the victory to Ms. Diaz.
Ms. Diaz’s gold was in addition to the four bronze medals Team Philippines won earlier, one each from the men’s and women’s poomsae teams, taekwondo jin Pauline Lopez (women’s -57 kg event) and wushu’s Agatha Wong.
