Hidilyn Diaz fails to qualify for 2024 Paris Olympics, reassures to continue weightlifting
After discovering she was not among the qualifying athletes for this year's Paris Olympics, Filipina weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz proved to everyone that the missed chance was not a loss but an opportunity to grow and discover new things in life.
In an Instagram post, Hidilyn shared some of her pictures from past competitions alongside a heartfelt message in the captions and comment section. She expressed her initial disappointment upon learning the news and reflected on the lessons she gained from her journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
She began by stating, "The result was not according to what I wanted and planned. But Thy will be done. It was not my day and Paris 2024 is not for me."
Hidilyn then reassured everyone that she would continue her weightlifting career, indicating that the Paris competition was just another chapter that ended quickly.
"It's the end of my Paris 2024 Olympic journey, I will still lift, continue to lift, and inspire young Filipino Athletes to become Olympic Champions."
In the comment section, Hidilyn shared further reflections from the competition. She realized that things like fame and money are fleeting, but the support of God, her family, and her friends stays forever.
Hidilyn also emphasized that "Winning is not everything," highlighting the importance of inspiring others as athletes represent their country during competitions.
She acknowledged the sacrifices she made as an elite athlete, recognizing that while weightlifting and the Olympics are significant, they are not everything in her life.
"The Olympics and weightlifting are not my everything. I sacrificed a lot of my time to train and sometimes I forget to enjoy the process because I am caught with the high expectations and high pressure of being an elite athlete."
With newfound time on her hands, Hidilyn shared her plans to pursue some of her long-held dreams, such as cooking and learning about business.
"This moment is for me to learn new skills - join classes and workshops to learn to cook and bake. I have long wanted to take culinary courses since I was 22 years old, and now, I will not just imagine doing pasta, pizza, and kare-kare, I will bake and cook some for my friends and family. I will also learn to do business and invest myself in education to be a better sports leader. I have a lot of things to learn in life."
Felt proud of the Filipina athlete, netizens flooded the comment section with supportive messages including some well-known stars like Chris Tiu, Xian Lim, Adrian Alandy, Kaizen Dela Serna, Pia Cayetano, and Samantha Bernardo.
Joining the Paris Olympics was intended to mark Hidilyn's fifth appearance competing for the gold medal in the event's weightlifting championship.
Having participated in every edition of the Olympics since 2008, she secured the silver in 2016 in Rio and the gold in 2021.
Related gallery: List of rewards awaiting Hidilyn Diaz after winning the historic gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
