Zambo lifter tries mettle versus world’s strongest

BEIJING – A 17-year-old girl who used to carry buckets of water from the artesian well to take a bath and wash the dishes, will try to lift real weights as she matches up against the strongest women of the world in the Beijing Olympics tomorrow.

Hidilyn Diaz, who had to quit computer science studies at the Unibersidad de San Juan in her native Zamboanga to train for the Olympics, hopes the six-month training she had carrying weights in China under world-class coaches would help her win what could be the breakthrough medal of a hard-luck RP team which went without a medal during the last eight years.

“The training in China was terrible. – one hour jogging in the morning, three hours of weightlifting in the afternoon and another one-hour jog in the evening,” said the 5-2 Zamboangueña, who was discovered by Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez in the Philippine Olympic Festival where she made an impressive lift to win the gold.

“This girl is good material for the London Olympics,” said Ramirez. “ That’s why we immediately put her on the program and sent her to China for training.”

In China, Diaz improved on her personal best of 187 kilos with a total lift of 200 – 110 in the clean and jerk and 90 in the snatch.

That, however, pales in comparison to feat of top favorite Chan Yanquing of China, whose lift of 251 kilos in winning the gold in the Doha Asian Games of 2006 remains unbeaten to-date.

With her official record of 180 she established in Asian qualifying event in Chiang Mai, Thailand last December, Diaz is ranked No. 45 in the world in the 58 kg class. Although she failed to earn the Olympic slot in the competition, she was later granted a wild card by the International Weightlifting Federation last June.

She is the youngest in her class and becomes the first ever woman participant from the Philippines and the first Filipino to compete in the Olympcs in 20 years after Ramon Solis.

Solis, at one-time regarded as the strongest man of Southeast Asia and currently Diaz’ coach in the Philippines, also said the teenage daughter of a tricycle driver has what it takes to be a champion.

“She has the height – not so tall- and she’s improving considerably,” said Solis. “She’ll be ready for the Olympics.”

Ramirez said she would give Diaz a two-week break after the Olympics so she could be with her family and five brothers and sisters.

“After that, we’ll send her again to China to train,” said Ramirez.

Diaz comes from a humble family whose house doesn’t have tap water, prompting her to fetch two five-gallon jugs of water as the need arises from 50 meters away for the daily needs of the family.

One day in a gym, she watched her cousins lift weights.

Curiosity got the better of her and she lifted some weights. To her cousins’ amazement, she lifted the bar bell better than a boy her age. She was 11.

It was to be the start of sporting career that was to carry her to the Philippine Olympic Festival, the Palarong Pambansa, the Southeast Asian Championships, and now, the Olympic Games.

“This will be a great experience for her,” said Ramirez.