Hidilyn Diaz on Olympic gold dreamers: ‘The more the merrier’

Beatrice Go

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Hidilyn Diaz on Olympic gold dreamers: ‘The more the merrier’
Hidilyn Diaz feels happy that Asian skate queen Margielyn Didal is also aiming for an Olympic gold

MANILA, Philippines – Out of the all-Filipina Asian Games gold medalists, both weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz  and skater Margielyn Didal claimed they want to clinch the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 

For the weightlifting veteran, it’s exciting that a 19-year-old is already eying a big dream such as the Olympics. 

Para sa akin, masaya, the more the merrier di ba?” said Diaz. (For me, I’m happy, the more the merrier right?). 

Didal told Rappler that she also dreams of making history by winning an Olympic gold. 

Yung gold, yun din yung goal ko, di lang sa Asian Games or anong skate events pero Olympics din kasi I heard about wala pang gold medal sa Olympics from the Philippines,” said Didal. 

(The goal is to get a gold, not just  in the Asian Games or other skate events but in the Olympics too, because I heard that no one from the Philippines has clinched an Olympic gold medal.) 

I’ll try my best na ako yung mag-gogold medal sa Olympics.” ( I’ll try my best to get that gold medal in the Olympics.) 

The 27-year-old weightlifter also believes that the young Cebuana’s no-fear attitude can make her a champion in the world quadrennial meet. 

Di lahat ng atleta, nangangarap sa Olympics. Yung iba takot: ‘di ko kaya yan, sa Olympics yan.’ Pero si Margie, kini-claim na niya ngayon [ang Olympic gold] so dalawa kami yung magki-claim nun,” explained Diaz. 

(Not all athletes dream of the Olympics. The others are scared: ‘I can’t do it, that’s the Olympics.’ But Margie is already claiming the Olympic gold so it’s both of us who are claiming it.)

But all dreams need hard work as it will be an uphill task for the golden girls come 2020.

Diaz will be competing against weightlifters from China and eight other countries who failed to see action in the 2018 Asiad due to their one-year doping ban.

But Diaz’s school, De La Salle-College of St. Benilde (DLS-CSB), has already started supporting her as well as other national athletes by building a new training facility near the campus and Rizal Memorial in Manila. The sports complex is slated to open in December 2019. 

It’s a sports complex that has a pool, a multi-court, weights room, training room to support our student-athletes,” said Robin Serrano, DLS-CSB vice president for advancement. 

On the other hand, Didal has two years to climb up the ranks of world skateboarding as she only placed 8th out of 12 finalists in her X-Games debut in Minneapolis last July 2018.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña already made a promise in a Facebook post to build a new skate park in South Road Properties (SRP) after Didal won the 2018 Asian Games gold. (WATCH: Margielyn Didal stands up for PH skate scene)

Concave Skate Park, where Didal first learned how to skate, had closed down. (READ: Margielyn Didal: From street kid to Asian street skate champ

 

 

– Rappler.com

 

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Beatrice Go

More commonly known as Bee, Beatrice Go is a multimedia sports reporter for Rappler, who covers Philippine sports governance, national teams, football, and the UAAP. Stay tuned for her news and features on Philippine sports and videos like the Rappler Athlete’s Corner and Rappler Sports Timeout.