MANILA, Philippines – Philippine sports star Hidilyn Diaz captured a bronze medal in the women’s 55kg category of the 2019 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships on Friday, September 20 in Pattaya, Thailand. 

Diaz, the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, lifted 93kg in the snatch and 123kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 214kg, enough to edge the 213kg total tallied by Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Chinshanlo. 

China scored a 1-2 punch as Liao Qiuyun topped the podium with a total of 227kg while Zhang Wanquiong settled for silver with a 222kg result. 

The result puts the Filipina weightlifter – who also won a bronze in the last two editions in Houston in 2015 and Anaheim in 2017 – on track of a Tokyo 2020 berth as the tournament is listed as a gold standard Olympic qualifying meet. 

The 28-year-old Diaz has been participating in the women’s 55kg event as her usual 53kg weight category wasn’t included in the list of events of the biggest quadrennial games. 

Diaz’s latest podium finish also boosted the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist‘s chances of copping a first Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medal in front of the home crowd on December 1 to 4 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. – Rappler.com