Lifters Diaz, Colonia hone up in Fujian

MANILA, Philippines – Rio Olympics-bound lifter Hidilyn Diaz and Olympics hopeful Nestor Colonia will spend the next two months honing their skills in Fujian, China, a province noted for its weightlifting program and facilities.

Diaz and Colonia will leave for Fujian on Friday and will be accompanied by coach Alfonsito Aldanete and Romy Magat, head of the Philippine Olympic Committee’s Cluster for the Rio Olympiad.

“They (Diaz at Colonia) will be training there for the next two months, or up to the last two weeks before the Rio Olympics. They will go directly to Rio de Janiero,” Magat said yesterday.

The Philippines earned one quota place in the women’s division during the recent Asian Championships in Uzbekistan, a Continental Qualification Event for the Rio Games, with Diaz, the country’s top bet, expected to be nominated for the spot.

Colonia, for his part, is seeking to make it via the Individual Qualification. Eight places in the men’s division and seven in the distaff side will be allocated in this process to high-ranking lifters from countries that didn’t get quota in the Main and Continental Qualification. As of yesterday, Colonia is ranked fifth in the 56-kg division with a best lift of 282 kgs he set at the 2015 world championships in Houston.

The International Weightlifting Federation is scheduled to inform the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Federations (NFs) of their allocated quota places on June 20 after all relevant anti-doping result management processes are concluded.

The final Olympic Qualification List for Individual Qualification is also slated to be published on the same day.