Hidilyn Diaz battled injury, mental hurdle in SEA Games comeback: 'This is my best for now'

Hidilyn Diaz was apologetic after wrapping up her much-awaited SEA Games return, where she failed to reach the podium with a 200kg total lift in the women's 58kg event on Sunday in Chonburi, Thailand. 

Diaz said she made a comeback to the regional biennial event for the flag and the whole weightlifting community, but she regretted not bringing home any medal. 

"First, I want to say sorry. But I did my best and this is my best for now dahil may injury ako and nahihirapan akong mag-drop weight kasi lumaki ako," Diaz told members of POC Media Pool. 

"Pero ayun nga, it’s not an excuse. At the end of the day, hindi ako sumuko, nag-prepare ako, and happy ako to represent our country." 

(First I want to say sorry. But I did my best and this is my best for now because I have an injury and I'm having trouble dropping in weight because I became bigger... But there, it's not an excuse. At the end of the day, I didn't give up, I prepared, and I'm happy to represent our country.)

Diaz disclosed that a lingering right knee injury, which had hampered her during the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifier in Thailand, continued to affect her performance. 

But more than the physical pain, Diaz, who won the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 2021, stressed it was the mental hurdles that took toll on her preparation leading up to the SEA Games.

"Still the same with 2023 nu’ng nagka-injury ako before the Olympic qualifier. After not qualifying sa Paris, medyo nawalan ako ng motivation and this is my first international competition after 2024 so I’m happy to be back," Diaz added.

"Sa akin it’s not the physical training, it’s more on the mental training. 'Yun ‘yung medyo nahirapan ako."

(Still the same with 2023 when I had an injury before the Olympic qualifier. After not qualifying for Paris, I lost my motivation a bit and this is my first international competition after 2024 so I’m happy to be back... For me, it's not the physical training, it's more on the mental training. That's where I had tough time.)

But Diaz isn't using these as excuses and made sure to still give her best in her SEA Games homecoming. 

She impressed right away in snatch, lifting 88kg and 90kg easily before getting a no-lift rule on her last attempt at 92kg. In the clean and jerk, she successfully lifted 110kg, but failed on 115kg and 116kg for a total of 200kg. 

Diaz, a two-time SEA Games gold medalist, did not reveal whether she has finalized her next steps, but expressed hope of representing the country again at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"What’s next? Hoping next year na nasa Olympic qualifying ako for LA pero nagbago na rin ng weight category so titignan natin, 61 kilos naman."

(What's next? Hoping next year that I'll be at the Olympic qualifying for LA but there's a change in weight category so we'll see, 61 kilos this time.)

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News