Hidilyn Diaz strikes three golds at World Championships after years of settling for bronze

Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz finally struck gold—and three golds at that—at the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships after settling for bronze in the past editions.

Diaz took the title after clearing 93kg for snatch and 114kg for clean and jerk, for a total lift of 207kg at the women's 55kg event in Bogota, Colombia last Dec. 7 (Dec. 8, Manila time).

The 31-year-old Olympic gold medalist overpowered Rosalba Morales of Colombia (snatch: 89kg; clean and jerk: 10kg; total: 199kg) and Ana Lopez Ferrer of Mexico (snatch: 90kg; clean and jerk: 108kg; total: 198kg).

The Worlds gold had been elusive for Diaz. She settled for bronze in the women's 53kg event in 2015 and 2017, and in the 55kg in 2021.

The World Championships is the first qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Aside from her historic Olympic gold, Diaz has also bagged several weightlifting titles, including the Asian Games, Asian Championships, and the Southeast Asian Games.