Hidilyn Diaz’s Medal Streak Ends at SEA Games
HIDILYN DIAZ – Filipina weightlifting legend Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo faced an unexpected outcome as she missed the podium in her long-awaited return to the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo fell short of a podium finish in her much-anticipated return to the Southeast Asian Games, placing fourth in the women’s 58kg division at the 2025 SEA Games in Chonburi, Thailand, on Sunday.
The Olympic gold medalist ended the competition with a combined total of 200 kilograms in the snatch and clean and jerk, finishing fourth among six contenders. In the snatch segment, Diaz-Naranjo opened strongly with successful lifts at 88kg and 90kg. However, her third attempt at 92kg was ruled a no lift, capping her snatch total at 90kg.
Hidilyn Diaz carried the momentum into the clean and jerk with a solid first attempt at 110kg. Despite the promising start, her succeeding lifts at 115kg and 116kg were unsuccessful, leaving her with a final overall tally of 200kg.
Thailand’s Suratwadee Yoosarn dominated the event, clinching the gold medal with a total of 224kg. Indonesia’s Natasya Beteyob secured silver after lifting 218kg, while Vietnam’s Thi Tam Quang completed the podium with a bronze finish at 215kg.
This marks the first time Diaz-Naranjo failed to reach the podium at the SEA Games since the 2005 edition held in the Philippines. Since then, she has carved out a historic career, capturing an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and later delivering the country’s first-ever Olympic gold in weightlifting at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Reflecting on her performance, Diaz-Naranjo was candid about her current condition. “First I wanted to say sorry. But I did my best. This is my best for now dahil may injury ako and nahihirapan ako mag-drop weight. And kasi lumaki ako. Pero yun nga it’s not an excuse,” she said. She added, “At the end of the day, hindi ako sumuko. Nag-prepare ako. And I’m happy to represent our country.”
The veteran athlete also spoke about the mental hurdles she faced following a right knee injury in 2023 and her failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics. “After not qualifying sa Paris [Olympics], medyo nawalan ako ng motivation. This is my first international competition since 2024. I’m happy to be back again,” she shared.
Looking ahead, Diaz-Naranjo remains hopeful about her future, expressing optimism about returning to Olympic qualifying competitions for the 2028 Los Angeles Games and continuing to help develop more Filipino weightlifters on the international stage.
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