Hidilyn Diaz sees an heir apparent in Elreen Ando

There will be two Filipina weightlifters in the Olympics this time as Elreen Ando joins weightlifting queen Hidilyn Diaz in the Tokyo Games. 

Diaz, who will see action in her fourth straight Olympics, sees a bright future for her sport with upstarts like Ando now bringing their act to the world stage. 

“Para sa akin napakalaking bagay na may susmusunod na mga bata sa Olympics (It’s a big thing for me that there are now young athletes heading to the Olympics),” said Diaz.

The 30-year-old weightlifting star aims to make history yet again in Philippine sports as she bids for the country’s first Olympic gold.

Ando, meanwhile, hopes to make the most of her Olympic debut in the women’s -64kg event. 

Aside from Ando, Diaz also recognized the rising members of the national weightlifting team like Vanessa Sarno, Kristel Macrohon, Margaret Colonia, and her cousin Mary Flor Diaz.

“Sila ang mga susunod sa akin (They’re the ones coming next after me),” said Diaz, a silver medalist in the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

While some see this as Diaz’s last Olympic stint, the Zamboanga City native would rather tune out the criticisms and keep her focus on her Tokyo campaign.

“I don’t have to listen to their opinion, kasi opinion nila yun. Wala ako magawa at hindi ko yun mabago,” said Diaz in Episode 3 of the documentary Let’s Go HD! aired on the Facebook page of Kick-Start Coffee Brewed Awakening.

“Ang magawa ko lang is mag-deliver ng results, ang magawa ko lang i-control ko yung mga things na magagawa ko, which as an athlete, I just have to train hard, do my best in training, do my best in competition and represent our country.”

(I don’t have to listen to their opinion because that’s their opinion. I can’t do anything to change that. All I can do is to deliver the results, control what I can do, which as an athlete, I just have to train hard, do my best in training, do my best in competition and represent our country.) – Rappler.com