Hidilyn Diaz chows on pizza, udon and sushi after historic lift, plans to write a book next
Olympic gold medalist—and soon to be book author?
In a vlog posted on Tuesday, July 27, weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz said she is preparing to write a book about her Olympic journey. Diaz is the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal after she topped the women’s 55-kg Group A division during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Monday.
"Gagawa kami ng libro, team HD the dream team, after ko manalo to bring inspiration sa mga bata, sa mga officials, and everyone in the Philippines. Para malaman nila ano bang mindset ng isang champion, Olympic champion," she said.
"Sana bibili kayo kapag may libro na," Diaz added.
In the vlog, Hidilyn shared the first meal she ate after winning her Olympic gold medal. She had her meal with coach-boyfriend Julius Naranjo at the Olympic main dining hall. Athletes participating in the Olympics are not allowed go to out of the Olympic Village; they must also leave the Olympic Village 48 hours after they have participated in their last event.
Athletes have said in their vlogs at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that the Olympic dining hall serves "a little bit of everything" of food items from all over the world.
The vlog revealed she had a piece of pizza, a bowl of udon, and a serving of sushi rolls. "Iyan, Japanese cuisine. This is the place I want to go... because I love Japanese!" Hidilyn exclaimed.
Hidilyn had her meal with Julius at the dining hall. "What is your reaction today after I lift the 127? Did you believe it?" she asked.
"I believed it. The moment you stood it up, I know you're gonna jerk it," he answered.
Asked what adjustments he made for their training, Julius said: "We have Team HD. We just try to make sure that you hit 90 in training, 94 in training twice for our heavy loads."
He added, "We just built your confidence. Your physical strength is there, but if you're not confident, then you can't use it to your full potential."
It'll be interesting to read what Hidilyn plans to include in her book, given the journey she had to go through to win the Philippines' first ever Olympic gold medal. In particular, netizens have noted that Hidilyn, in 2019, was included in an alleged matrix to out President Rodrigo Duterte. The Olympian admitted then that she feared for her life after being included in the matrix.
"Whatever happens, sana hindi mangyari 'yun sa ibang atleta at sana lahat tayo matuto," she said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Tuesday, July 27. "As an athlete, ayaw kong maging political and I have to focus on the things that I need to do."
Banner photo: YouTube/Hidilyn Diaz
