MANILA – With pure talent coupled by stroke of luck, Hidilyn Diaz is now a two-time gold medal winner in the Southeast Asian Games women’s -55 kilogram weightlifting category.
Diaz annexed her second SEA Games gold with a gold-standard performance of 206 kg total lift – 92 in the snatch and 114 in clear and jerk – on Friday afternoon at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Diaz, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner, went toe-to-toe with Thai rival and Rio de Janeiro Olympics winner Sanikun Tanasan in the snatch event only to trail by a kilogram at 93-92.
Tanasan, who was suspended during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, easily lifted 110 kilogram in her first clear and jerk attempt but was unable to pounce on Diaz; she failed on her last two tries at 114.
The clad-in-pink Diaz then secured the gold medal right in her first clear and jerk lift at 114 kilogram but failed to etch her name on SEA Games record after falling short on her 118 and 121 kilograms lift.
Rosegie Ramos, meanwhile, added to Team Philippines’ medal haul in weightlifting after capturing bronze in the women’s 49 kilogram division.
Team Sibol (Blacklist International) of Danerie del Rosario, Kyle Sotto, Salik Imam, Jonmar Villaluna, Russel Usi, Lee Gonzales and Dexter Alaba captured the gold in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang category.
Filipina-Japanese Rena Furukawa notched a judo gold medal after defeating Myanmar’s Chu Myat Noe Wai in the women’s -57 kilogram weight division.
Judokas Ronil Tubog, Keisei Nakano and John Viron Ferrer bagged silver medals in their respective categories, while Megumi Kurayoshi and Ivan Christopher Agustin ended with bronze medals.
Other silver medal winners were wrestlers Jhonny Morte and Alvin Lobreguito; archery pair of Paul Marton Dela Cruz and Jennifer Chan; and chess tandem of Paulo Bersamina and Darwin Laylo.
Alex Eala, meanwhile, took home two bronze medals in the women’s singles category and in the mixed team event, where she is paired with veteran Treat Huey.
The women’s beach volley team of Cherry Rondina, Bernadeth Pons, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Dij Rodriguez and men’s team of Jude Garcia, Jaron Requinton, Ranran Abdilla and Krung Albastro also contributed bronze medals each.
Other bronze winners were taekwondo jins Israel Cesar Cantos and Samuel Morrison; swimmer Jasmine Alkhaldi; gymnast Breanna Labadan; grappler Jason Balabal; Remon Misu of karate; chess duo of Marie Antoinette San Diego and Janelle Mae Frayna; sepak takraw trio of Jason Huerte, Rheyjey Ortouste and Mark Joseph Gonzales; women’s kata team including Nicole Dantes, Sarah Pangilinan, and Rebecca Torres; paddler team of Hermie Macaranas and Ojay Fuentes; and archery trio of Paul Marton Dela Cruz, Flor Matan and Johann Olaño./PN
