Philippines’ Hidilyn Diaz on Monday made history by becoming the island country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist. The weightlifter smashed her personal best to see off world record holder Liao Qiuyun of China who had to settle for silver.

Hailing from the southern city of Zamboanga, Philippines, Diaz became just the second athlete from her country to win multiple Olympics medals, joining swimmer Teofilo Yldefonzo who won bronze in the men’s 200m breaststroke in 1928 and 1932. She had won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. She is also the first Filipino woman to win an Olympic medal of any colour.

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The 30-year-old realised her dream in the women’s 55kg class at the Tokyo International Forum. With Liao setting a target of 223kg, just four kilogrammes shy of her own world record, Diaz was faced with a final clean and jerk of 127kg to win — fully 5kg more than she had ever achieved in competition.

In Beijing 2008, a 17-year-old Diaz had become the first female weightlifter to compete for the Philippines in the Olympics. She also competed in the 2012 and 2016 Games, winning a medal in the latter. In 2018, she became Philippines’ first gold medalist at the Asian Games. She was also the first Filipino weightlifter of any gender to win a gold medal in the competition.

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On Monday, with a massive effort, Diaz hoisted the huge Olympic record weight and the tears of joy began to flow even before she dropped the bar to the floor after a triumphant effort.

Liao took the silver, with Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Chinshanlo the bronze.

Diaz was already assured a place in her country’s sporting folklore, alongside the likes of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, as the only woman from the sprawling archipelago ever to win an Olympic medal — her surprise silver five years ago breaking a 20-year medal drought for the Philippines.

Diaz spent the last year and half training in exile in Malaysia because of Covid restrictions, so dedicated was she to claim an unprecedented gold in her fourth and probably final Games.

Diaz’s medal was just the 11th by the Philippines since they first took part in the Olympics in 1924, and now the only gold.