MANILA, Philippines – The quest to bring honor to the country does not end for Hidilyn Diaz.

The weightlifting icon said she plans to remain in the competitive scene even after she fell short of qualifying for the Paris Games, halting her streak of four straight Olympic appearances.

“I will still represent our country,” said Diaz on Sunday, April 14, as she graced the 60th anniversary event of energy drink MILO at Trinoma in Quezon City.

With her bid to replicate her golden feat in the Tokyo Games dashed as she lost her Paris spot to compatriot Elreen Ando, Diaz can still recapture her women’s 55kg crown in the World Weightlifting Championships in Bahrain in December.

Diaz, 33, failed to defend the 55kg title she won in the world championships in 2022 as she took part in the 59kg class in 2023.

Paris organizers scrapped the 55kg division, forcing Diaz to move up to 59kg.

The Zamboangueña can also shoot for a third gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games, which will be hosted by Thailand next year.

Diaz won back-to-back SEA Games titles in 2019 and 2021 on top of two silvers and one bronze she bagged in earlier editions before she skipped the biennial showpiece in 2023.

“The SEA Games is something I look forward to. But I cannot say [if I’ll be competing],” said Diaz. “One thing I know is I’ll still lift. I’m happy that I still love weightlifting.”

“I’ll continue to train. Of course, I’m aiming to win a gold medal for the Philippines again.”

For now, though, Diaz wants to focus on things that matter to her outside the sport.

“I gave everything to weightlifting. I realized this is my time for my family, learning new things like cooking and baking, and traveling.” – Rappler.com