Hidilyn Diaz falls short of Asian Games 2023 medal

Hidilyn Diaz fell short of a podium finish in the 19th Asian Games after settling for fourth place in the women's 59kg in the weightlifting event on Monday in Hangzhou, China.

After easily lifting 94kg and 97kg, Diaz had a 'no lift' result in her final snatch attempt at 100kg as North Korea's representative Kim Ilgyong set a new Asian Games and world record in snatch with 111kg.

The Olympic gold medalist then lifted 121kg and 126kg in the clean and jerk before failing to lift 131kg in her last try to collect a total lift of 223kg.

Kim took home the gold medal with a total lift of 246kg.

In the 2018 edition in Indonesia, Diaz won the gold medal after reigning supreme in the women's 53kg after lifting a total of 207kg.

But Diaz faced a stacked field in the 59kg category in this edition of the games. China's Luo Shifang, who is the reigning world champion in the division after ruling in the 2023 IWF World Championships held last month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, settled for the silver medal after lifting a total of 240kg.

Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei's Kuo Hsing Chun, who held the world records in the snatch, the clean & jerk, and the total prior to the Asian Games, copped the bronze medal with 227kg.

Diaz delivered the Philippines' first-ever gold medal in the Olympic Games in the 55-kg division of the Tokyo Games. She also won the world championship in 2022 in the 55-kg. But she is making the transition up to 59-kg as there 55-kg category was not included in the 2024 Paris Olympics' list of events.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News