GREATNESS RECOGNIZED: Diaz proud of Tokyo Olympics teammates

Hidilyn Diaz overflows with pride seeing his former teammates — Carlos Yulo and Nesthy Petecio — win medals for the country in the Paris Olympics.

In a social media post, Diaz thanked Yulo for such a meaningful conversation with the iconic Eiffel Tower in the background to symbolize the Filipinos’ success in their 100th year participation in the Summer Games.

After winning the gold medal in Tokyo three years ago, the 33-year-old Diaz failed to qualify in the Olympics but she flew to the French capital to serve as athletes’ representative in the weightlifting events in which her successors in John Ceniza, Elreen Ando and Vanessa Sarno have represented the Philippines.

She spent her first few days catching the Olympic fever and meeting sports officials led by Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann.

Then, she rubbed elbows with her fellow athletes like Yulo — the diminutive gymnast who made a historic feat when he became the country’s one and only double gold medalist in the Summer Games when he ruled the floor exercise and vault apparatus.

“Salamat Caloy sa napakaganda at napakasayang pag-uusap,” said Diaz, the trailblazing athlete after becoming the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal.

“Basta proud ako sayo at palagi kitang pinagdadasal.”

Prior to Yulo, Petecio also got a boost from Diaz.

Petecio and Diaz have gone a long way. Aside from being almost the same age, they were together in the Covid-hit Summer Games in the Japanese capital with Diaz coming home with gold and Petecio clinching a silver.

This time, however, Petecio settled for just a bronze medal after losing a controversial bout with a 20-year-old Polish in Julia Szeremeta in the 57-kilogram division of the women’s event.

Still, Diaz is beaming with pride seeing Petecio stepping on the medal podium to secure the country’s fourth medal further boosted the country’s most successful participation in the Summer Games.

“Pamilya na tayo halos. Magkasama tayo sa mga laban,” Diaz told Petecio.

“Hindi dito sa medalyang ito natatapos ang ambag mo sa pamilya mo at sa bayan. Congratulations! Proud ako sa iyo, alam mo yan.”

“Kakampi mo lagi ako!”

Team Philippines has yet to wrap up its Olympic participation. Weightlifter Vanessa Sarno is still competing in the women’s 71-kilogram event at press time while golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina are still in the thick of battle in the women’s individual stroke play.

Another medal from any of these three last women standing will definitely complete the magic in Paris, something that has never been seen before in the long and colorful history of Philippine sports.