HANGZHOU, China – Up against younger and stronger rivals, Tokyo Olympics champion Hidilyn Diaz was the first to flinch as rising star Kim Ilgyong of North Korea stole the limelight with record-shattering performance in the women’s 59-kilogram class on Monday, Oct. 2, in the 19th Asian Games at the XSC Gymnasium here.
But what Diaz failed to achieve was completed by Elreen Ann Ando who took the bronze medal in the women’s 64kg – thanks to her splendid effort in the clean and jerk where she lifted the second-best 126kg for a 222kg total.
North Korean Unsim Rim topped the event in a new meet record of 252kg in a fitting sequel to Ilgyong’s smashing win. Chinese Pei Xinyi bagged the silver on 234kg.
Ando, 24, dedicated her victory to her father who passed away two years ago.
With Ando’s unexpected win, Team PH now has 1 gold, 1 silver and 8 bronze medals going into the final 7 days of the continental showpiece which is living up to its earlier pronouncement as the biggest in the storied history of the Games.
“Nalungkot talaga ako noong nag-zero ako sa Asian Championships. Nawala ang lungkot at napalitan ng saya dahil medalya na ito,” said Ando.
GILAS WINS
Gilas also provided another exciting news by crushing Qatar, 80-41, and set up an explosive quarterfinal showdown with Iran at the Shejiang University Gym.
CJ Perez and June Mar Fajardo shared the scoring honors with 12 points easch, Calvin Oftana added 11, Justin Brownlee ands Japeth Aquilar had 9 apiece in a well-balanced attack.
The oldest in the 8-player finals, Diaz did try everything humanely possible to salvage a bronze in her burning desire to protect her image as Olympic gold medal winner but failed.
She finished fourth with a total lift of 223 kilograms with North Korean Kim Ilgyong, 20, winning the gold in mind-boggling 246kg (111 in snatch and 135kg in clean and jerk) – which is both World and Asian records.
Chinese Luo Shifang, 22, finished second on 240kg (107kg in snatch and 133kg in the clean and jerk) and Taiwanese Kuo Hsiong Chun settled for third on 227kg.
Trying to catch up Taiwanese Kuo Hsiong Chun for the bronze, Diaz, 32, raised the weight of the barbell to 131kg on her third attempt in the snatch and jerk event that had her Filipino supporters whispering a prayer for her success.
She was unsuccessful as the weight of131kg proved too heavy for her and fell on her back.
POOR SHOWING
What did Diaz in was her poor showing in the snatch that saw her lift only 97kg. She tried 100kg but was not successful.
So dominant was the North Korean she lifted 111kg in the snatch which is also both world and Asian records.
Diaz was humble in defeat, saying: “Ang lalakas ng mga kalaban dito.”
But it will not stop her from chasing another Olympic glory as she is scheduled to compete in the IWF World Cup in Qatar in December and another World Cup in Thailand in Thailand in April.
“Patuloy ang ensayo para mag-qualify sa Paris Olympics at manalo,” said Diaz who won both her Tokyo Olympics (2021) and Asian Games (2018) golds while still competing in the 55kg.
Her moving up to a heavier division, which was not to her liking, told on her campaign although she was given little chances to deliver just like five years ago in Jakarta.
In her initial foray in the bulkier class in the World Championships last month, Diaz struggled big time as she finished a far 7th.
“Three weeks lang ako nag-ensayo for this event,” added Diaz.
“I just want to represent our country again in the Asian Games. This is the second biggest competition next to the Olympics,’’ said Diaz.
BLU GIRLS FALL
Meantime, the Blu Girls fell short in their comeback bid agaimnst the Taiwanese, 3-2, to finish fourth in women’s softball while hurdler John Tolentino also wound up fourth in the men’s 110m hurdle won by Kuwaiti Yaqoub Alyyouha in season’s 13.41 seconds. He beat out Japanese Shunya Takayama in a photo finish.
Fil-Am Kristina Knott placed 6th in the women’s 200m that was amazingly won by Singaporean Veronica Shanti Pereira in 23.03.
Already 28, Knott could do no better than a 23.79.
Vanessa Sarno, trumpeted as the heiress apparent to Diaz, competes
in the women’s 76kg on Oct. 5, looking to produce a performance that will appease the pain suffered by the nation following Diaz’s defeat.
The sun shone brightly early in this city of 12 million people, but that did not help the PH cause as Filipino bets in athletics and archery suffered defeats at the hands of their superior and well-funded rivals.
Among the early casualties for Team PH were multi-titled SEAG champion Eric Cray in the 400m hurdles, the mixed relay in triathlon of Fernando Casares and Kim Mangrobang who finished 7th overall in the contest won by Japan.
Fil-Am Lauren Hoffman, standing at 5-foot-7, qualified in the finals of the women’s 400m hurdles along with Robyn Brown. Also making it to the final round was Ronne Malipay in the men’s triple jump.
In archery, the mixed team of Amaya Cojuangco and Paul dela Cruz absorbed a close 156-153 at the hands of the Indons in the Round of 16 showdown while the duo of Gabrielle Bidaure and Jayson Feliciano suffered a 6-0 defeat to the Taiwanese.
In squash, the PH bets of Jymyca Aribado and Robert Andrew Garcia pulled off a 2-1 win over Sri Lanka early in the day of the mixed doubles, but they are going to face a heavyweight in China later in the day.
The tandem of Yvonne Alyssa Dalida and David Pelino likewise prevailed, 2-0, against Thailand.
Also trying to barge into the semis is boxer Carlo Paalam.
