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'Di ako makapaniwala': Historic feat still sinking in for weightlifting champ Hidilyn Diaz

By Brooke Villanueva Published Jul 28, 2021 10:28 am

It all still feels surreal for Hidilyn Diaz a day after bagging the historic gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In an Instagram post, she captioned a photo of herself with the words "Di Ako Makapaniwala" in bold.

"Di ako makapaniwala na nandito ako ngayon sa Olympics. Di ako makapaniwala na matutuloy ang Olympics. Di ako makapaniwala na nandito ang Team HD. Di ako makapaniwala na Gold Medalist ako sa Olympics," she wrote.

The very first Filipino Olympic gold medalist humbly acknowledged that her most recent feat wouldn't have been possible without other people's help and support. "Salamat God sa pagdala ng mga tao, government support, private support, pamilya, kaibigan, at prayer warriors para magawa ko ito at maging possible," she continued.

Diaz, who was seen wearing a miraculous medal on her chest after her Olympic triumph, concluded her post with an uplifting Bible verse. "Jesus looked at them and said, 'with man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible' (Matthew 19:26)."

The weightlifting champ ended the country's Olympic gold medal drought that lasted for 97 years on Monday, July 26, when she placed first in the weightlifting women's 55-kg Group A division. The Philippines joined the Olympics for the first time in 1924, "when David Nepomuceno featured in the 100- and 200-meter sprints," according to ESPN.

This was Diaz's fourth Olympics run. It can be noted that she captured a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Article thumbnails from AFP