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Diaz, Hidilyn
|
| NOC |
Philippines
|
| Gender | Women |
| Born | 20 Feb 1991
in Zamboanga, PHI |
| Height | 1.49 m |
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|
Further Personal Information |
| Higher education |
Computer Science - University of Zamboanga: Philippines |
Sport Specific Information |
| Why this sport? |
"My cousins were weightlifters and I saw them lifting. In fact they were not lifting barbells, it was wood that looked like ipil-ipil [lead tree]. I thought, 'What are they doing? It looks like fun', and that's how I started." |
General Interest |
| Most influential person in career |
Coach Antonio Agustin Jr. (Athlete, 02 Aug 2016) |
| Awards and honours |
In January 2023 she was honoured with a star on the Eastwood City Walk of Fame in the Philippines. (sports.inquirer.net, 19 Jan 2023)
In 2022 she received the MILO Champion of Grit and Glory Award at the Philippine Sportswriters Association [PSA] Awards Gala. (rappler.com, 13 Mar 2022)
In 2021 she was presented with a Congressional Medal of Excellence by the Philippines House of Representatives. (pna.gov.ph, 29 Jul 2021)
In 2021 she was named Filipino of the Year by the Philippine news outlet, The Inquirer, as well as by Lifestyle Asia magazine. (newsinfo.inquirer.net, 23 Jan 2022; lifestyleasia.onemega.com, 15 Dec 2021)
In 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2022 she was named Athlete of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association [PSA]. (rappler.com, 13 Mar 2022; nationbuilderph.com, 10 Mar 2022; bworldonline.com, 19 May 2017; sports.inquirer.net, 07 Mar 2023)
She received the Outstanding Young Men [TOYM] Award [presented to both male and female recipients] for 2017 from the Senate of the Philippines. (iwf.net, 14 Mar 2018)
She was flag bearer for the Philippines at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (olympic.org, 01 Aug 2012) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Name of coach |
Julius Irvin Naranjo [personal, husband], GUM |
| When and where did you begin this sport? |
She began weightlifting at age 11 in Zamboanga, Philippines. |
Further Personal Information |
| Occupation |
Athlete, Serves in the Air Force |
| Languages |
English |
General Interest |
| Famous relatives |
Her husband Julius Irvin Naranjo represented Guam in weightlifting at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and has served as her coach. Her cousin Mary Flor Diaz has competed in weightlifting at national level in the Philippines. Her cousin Allen Jayfrus Diaz has coached the sport at regional level. (sports.inquirer.net, 02 Jan 2023; SportsDeskOnline, 31 Dec 2021; philstar.com, 12 Jul 2017; bworldonline.com, 19 May 2017) |
| Nicknames |
Queen Hidilyn, Haidie (olympics.com, 24 May 2022; hidilyndiaz.ph, 18 Oct 2017) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"If you want to win, you have to work hard for it." (Athlete, 02 Aug 2016) |
| Other information |
NEW WEIGHT CLASS
Having claimed the 55kg title at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and the 2022 World Championships in Bogota, Colombia, she plans to move up to the 59kg category ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. "It was good timing [winning gold at the 2022 World Championships] because that is the last time I will compete at 55kg. I need to be more focused while training to meet 59kg. Rest is likewise crucial to prevent injuries. I will also work on my diet. I have to really accept and train my mind that this is a completely different weight [category] and I have to double my effort. It's easy to build mass, but it's hard to build your muscles and develop your strength at the same time." (sports.inquirer.net, 02 Jan 2023; olympics.com, 12 Dec 2022, 06 Dec 2022)
GYM
In 2017 she opened a weightlifting gym in Zamboanga, Philippines. "My main goal is to help out kids in my hometown realise their dream in weightlifting. This sport could change their lives and hopefully they could become just like me in the future." (bworldonline.com, 19 May 2017; sunstar.com.ph, 11 May 2017)
TURNING POINT
She feels her 2014 knee injury was a turning point in her career. "It was my breakthrough [as well], because I met a lot of sports science people who opened my mind [about] strength and conditioning. When I competed at 58kg, my food intake was all rubbish junk food. That's when I started to eat healthy. My body dropped [in weight], then my performance improved. When my weight was 56kg, my friend told me that at 53kg I would have more chance of winning the Olympics than at 58. Because there are heavier lifters at 58 that lift better numbers than me. So 53 would be more of an advantage for me." (tokyo2020.org, 24 Nov 2020)
FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied business administration at De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde in Manila, Philippines. (philstar.com, 09 Nov 2021) |
| Injuries |
She was troubled by a shoulder injury in 2015 and early 2016. (Athlete, 02 Aug 2016)
She suffered a knee injury in 2014 and was forced to miss the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Republic of Korea. (tokyo2020.org, 24 Nov 2020; Athlete, 02 Aug 2016) |
| Hero / Idol |
Indonesian weightlifter Eko Yuli Irawan. (iwf.net, 12 Feb 2019) |
| Milestones |
She became the first athlete representing the Philippines to win a gold medal in any sport at the Olympic Games, when she placed first in the 55kg category at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Previously, she became the first female athlete representing the Philippines to win a medal in any sport at the Olympic Games when she claimed silver in the 53kg category at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 31 Aug 2021; news.abs-cbn.com, 26 Jul 2021; iwf.net, 28 Aug 2018)
She became the first weightlifter from the Philippines to win a gold medal at the Asian Games, when she triumphed in the 53kg category at the 2018 Games in Indonesia. (SportsDeskOnline, 12 Sep 2018; iwf.net, 28 Aug 2018)
In 2015 she became the first female weightlifter representing the Philippines to finish on the podium at the world championships by winning three bronze medals in Houston, TX, United States of America. (SportsDeskOnline, 12 Sep 2018; iwf.net, 28 Aug 2018) |
Further Personal Information |
| Residence |
Manila, PHI |
| Family |
Husband Julius Irvin Naranjo |
General Interest |
| Ambitions |
To win a gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (olympics.com, 03 Jan 2022) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Training Regime |
She trains for up to three hours in the morning, and for between three and four hours in the afternoon. She also has regular physical therapy sessions. |
Further Personal Information |
| Other names |
Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo |
| | Olympic Games |
| 2020 |
1 |
55kg |
 Tokyo |
| 2016 |
2 |
53kg |
 Rio de Janeiro |
| 2012 |
|
58kg |
 London |
| 2008 |
10 |
58kg |
 Beijing |
| | World Championships |
| 2023 |
7 |
59kg |
 Riyadh |
| 2023 |
11 |
59kg - Snatch |
Riyadh |
| 2023 |
6 |
59kg - Clean & Jerk |
Riyadh |
| 2022 |
1 |
55kg |
 Bogotá |
| 2022 |
1 |
55kg - Snatch |
Bogotá |
| 2022 |
1 |
55kg - Clean & Jerk |
Bogotá |
| 2019 |
3 |
55kg |
 Pattaya |
| 2019 |
8 |
55kg - Snatch |
Pattaya |
| 2019 |
3 |
55kg - Clean & Jerk |
Pattaya |
| 2018 |
9 |
55kg |
 Ashgabat |
| 2018 |
6 |
55kg - Snatch |
Ashgabat |
| 2018 |
13 |
55kg - Clean & Jerk |
Ashgabat |
| 2017 |
3 |
53kg |
 Anaheim, CA |
| 2017 |
5 |
53kg - Snatch |
Anaheim, CA |
| 2017 |
2 |
53kg - Clean & Jerk |
Anaheim, CA |
| 2015 |
3 |
53kg |
Houston, TX |
| 2015 |
3 |
53kg - Snatch |
Houston, TX |
| 2015 |
3 |
53kg - Clean & Jerk |
Houston, TX |
| 2011 |
7 |
58kg |
 Paris |
| 2011 |
9 |
58kg - Snatch |
Paris |
| 2011 |
7 |
58kg - Clean & Jerk |
Paris |
| | Asian Championships |
| 2023 |
4 |
59kg |
 Jinju |
| 2023 |
4 |
59kg - Snatch |
Jinju |
| 2023 |
5 |
59kg - Clean & Jerk |
Jinju |
| 2020 |
4 |
55kg |
 Tashkent |
| 2020 |
4 |
55kg - Snatch |
Tashkent |
| 2020 |
4 |
55kg - Clean & Jerk |
Tashkent |
| 2019 |
2 |
55kg |
Ningbo |
| 2019 |
2 |
55kg - Snatch |
Ningbo |
| 2019 |
2 |
55kg - Clean & Jerk |
Ningbo |
| 2016 |
3 |
53kg |
Tashkent |
| 2016 |
3 |
53kg - Snatch |
Tashkent |
| 2016 |
2 |
53kg - Clean & Jerk |
Tashkent |
| 2015 |
1 |
53kg |
Phuket |
| 2015 |
1 |
53kg - Snatch |
Phuket |
| 2015 |
1 |
53kg - Clean & Jerk |
Phuket |
| 2012 |
4 |
58kg |
Pyeongtaek |
| 2012 |
4 |
58kg - Snatch |
Pyeongtaek |
| 2012 |
4 |
58kg - Clean & Jerk |
Pyeongtaek |
| | Asian Games |
| 2022 |
4 |
59kg |
Hangzhou |
| 2018 |
1 |
53kg |
 Jakarta |
| 2010 |
6 |
58kg |
Guangzhou |
| 2006 |
10 |
53kg |
 Doha |
| | South East Asian Games |
| 2021 |
1 |
55kg |
 Hanoi |
| 2019 |
1 |
55kg |
 Manila |
| 2013 |
2 |
58kg |
 Naypyidaw |
| 2011 |
2 |
58kg |
|
| 2007 |
3 |
58kg |
Bangkok |
| 2005 |
5 |
58kg |
Manila |
| | IWF Grand Prix |
| 2011 |
2 |
58kg |
 Fuzhou |
| 2011 |
2 |
58kg - Snatch |
Fuzhou |
| 2011 |
2 |
58kg - Clean & Jerk |
Fuzhou |
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