Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Hidilyn Diaz camp keeping fingers crossed as COVID-19 blocks road to Tokyo

HIDILYN Diaz will not be able to compete in her final Olympic qualifying tournament due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Diaz said she was supposed to leave for Colombia on Tuesday for the Ibero-America Open Championship but a travel ban has been implemented in the South America country due to the spread of COVID-19.

“I was supposed to have my flight today going to Colombia to compete at the Ibero-America Open Championships 2020 for my final Olympic Qualifying competition but we didn’t push through because of travel ban in Colombia,” Diaz said in an Instagram post.

The top eight lifters on April 30, 2020 will qualify outright for the Olympics on the condition that only one per country will make it to Tokyo on each category.

However, weightlifters need to participate in six qualifying tournaments. Diaz has seen action in five.

As it stands, Diaz is fourth in the world in the 55-kilogram division behind Chinese bets Liao Quiyun, Zhang Wangquiong and Li Yajun.

Diaz only needs to maintain her ranking for the next month by joining world, continental, and other International Weightlifting Federation-sanctioned tournaments.

“There are things we can’t control and we can’t do anything, the effects of N-Covid19 is something unimaginable. Most of my Olympic Qualification events are postponed or cancelled, travel ban, city lockdown and country lockdown,” Diaz said.

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There are things we can’t control and we can’t do anything, the effects of N-Covid19 is something unimaginable. Most of my Olympic Qualification events are postponed or cancelled, travel ban, city lockdown and country lockdown. Panic, fears and frustration is controlling us right now. I was supposed to have my flight today going to Colombia to compete at the Ibero-America Open Championships 2020 for my final Olympic Qualifying competition but we didn’t push through because of travel ban in Colombia. As an athlete we don’t stop when we fail once, even twice, the most important thing is we do our best and at the end of the day we won’t regret anything. I will remain focus and determine to improve every single day together with #TeamHD who prepared me and sacrificed a lot to represent God and Philippines well in Olympics. So far the best snatch technique I have in competitions is captured by @one_kilo_ this was in Roma World Cup 2020 in Roma, Italy. Speaking of Italy, mio amico and mia amica take care always, be strong you are in my prayers, in my thoughts and worries. To my friends, family, supporters, fans, church mate, kabaro at buddy sa Airforce at co-athletes, please take care, wash your hands and social distancing. To frontliners Salamat po sa Serbisyong binigay niyo po. Kuidaw ustedes pirmi! #LabanPilipinas #LabanHidilyn #TeamHD #tokyo2020 #olympicweightlifting @phil.sportscommission @mvpsportsfoundation @phoenixfuels

A post shared by Hidilyn Diaz OLY (@hidilyndiaz) on

Source: Spin PH

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