Weightlifting ace Hidilyn Diaz to skip Cambodia SEA Games

Hidilyn Diaz will skip the 2023 Southeast Asian Games slated this May in Cambodia as the biennial meet will coincide with her participation in a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella shared the news on Friday, saying the 31-year-old lifter has come to a decision to prioritize the Olympic qualifier over the SEA Games, where she is the reigning titleholder at the 55 kg category.

"She had to make that decision kasi we have the qualifying event sa Korea this May din. So if we push through sa SEA Games ay mahihirapan naman siya," Puentevalla told GMA Integrated News.

("She had to make that decision because we have the qualifying event in Korea this May. So if we push through with participating in the SEA Games, she will have a difficult time.")

The 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships will run from May 3 to 13 in South Korea, the same dates for the SEA Games, which will be happening from May 5 to 17 in Phnom Penh.

In the Olympic qualifying tournament, Diaz will compete against another Filipino weightlifter in Elreen Ando as she moved up to the 59 kg class. Both Ando and Diaz saw action in the previous Olympics with Diaz ruling the 55kg while Ando finished 7th at the 64kg category.

But this time, only one of the two Filipinas will qualify to the Paris Games as only one from each country could book a ticket per class.

"That is always the rule of IWF na always magbago ng weight for the Olympics," the official added.

"But that's what she (Diaz) wants as well kasi she really wants to join Paris. Kaso isa lang sa kanila ni Ando, it's going to be a battle of the titans for me."

("That was always the rule of IWF, that they would change the weight classes for the Olympics... But that's what she wants as well because she really wants to join Paris. But only one of her and Ando, it's going to be a battle of the titans for me.")

—JMB, GMA Integrated News