Hidilyn Diaz

Hidilyn Francisco Diaz OLY (born February 20, 1991) is a professional weightlifter and educator from the Philippines. She is widely recognized for making history as the first Filipino athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, achieving this feat in the women's 55 kg category at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She also holds the Olympic records for the 55 kg division in the clean and jerk (127 kg) and in the total weight lifted (224 kg). Diaz is a Second Lieutenant in the Philippine Air Force, serving since 2013.Early Life and Education Hidilyn Diaz was born in Zamboanga City, Philippines, and is the fifth of six children of Eduardo and Emelita Diaz. She attended Zamboanga A.E. Colleges (later Universidad de Zamboanga; UZ) for her high school studies under a scholarship. Her cousin, Allen Jayfrus Diaz, introduced her to the basics of weightlifting. In college, she initially pursued a bachelor's degree in computer science at UZ. In January 2017, she received a scholarship and went on to study business management (BBA) at De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde.Career Progression and Major Achievements Diaz's competitive career began early, and she was selected as a wild card entry to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics by the Philippine Weightlifting Association. She continued to represent the Philippines at the 2012 Summer Olympics. A significant breakthrough came during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she won a silver medal in the women's 53 kg division, ending the Philippines' 20-year Olympic medal drought. In 2018, Diaz achieved another milestone by winning the gold medal in the women's 53 kg event at the Asian Games. Her total lift of 207 kg secured the Philippines' first gold medal in the 2018 games, making her the first Filipino weightlifter of any gender to win an Asian Games gold. Her highest achievement came at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (held in 2021), where she competed in the women's 55 kg event. Diaz lifted a clean and jerk weight of 127 kg and a total of 224 kg, both Olympic records, to secure the Philippines' inaugural Olympic gold medal. Other notable achievements include a silver medal at the 2019 Asian Championship, a gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila, and a gold medal in the women's 55 kg event at the Roma 2020 World Cup. In 2023, she made her competitive debut in the 59 kg division at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in South Korea, placing 4th.Current Status Hidilyn Diaz continues her career as a professional weightlifter and is also an educator. She is married to Julius Naranjo, whom she wed in 2022. She remains an active member of the Philippine Air Force, holding the rank of Second Lieutenant. Her military service includes being part of the Air Force Special Service Group, PAF Personnel Management Center, and the 710th Special Operations Wing, Philippine Air Force Civil-Military Operations Group.