FILIPINO Olympian Hidilyn Diaz retained her weightlifting gold medal in the women’s 55kg class of the 31st Southeast Asian Games at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center on Friday.
This the first gold medal for the Philippine weightlifting team in Hanoi, with more expected before the biennial meet closes on Monday.
Diaz, the first and only Filipino Olympic gold medalist, lifted 92 kgs in snatch and 114 kgs in clean and jerk for a total of 206 kgs.
Thailand’s Tanasan Sanikun, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, got the silver medal with a total of 203 kgs (93 kgs in snatch and 110 kgs in clean and jerk).
Diaz trailed Sanikun in the snatch as she could not clear 93 kgs.
Sanikun lifted 110kg in her second attempt in clean and jerk but Diaz wiped out the Thai’s lead immediately by raising 114 in just her first attempt.
Sanikun tried to match Diaz’s 114 but was unable to do so in her third attempt.
Diaz, 31, tried to set a new SEA Games record of 121 in her third attempt but failed.
Indonesia’s Natasya Beteyob claimed the bronze medal with a total of 188 kgs.
