Hidilyn Diaz Misses Podium in SEA Games, Breaks Silence on Injury & Doubt
HIDILYN DIAZ – Filipina weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo’s return to the SEA Games turned emotional as the Olympic gold medalist settled for fourth place in the women’s 58kg weightlifting event.
Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo narrowly missed a medal finish in her highly anticipated comeback at the Southeast Asian Games, ending up fourth in the women’s 58kg category at the 2025 SEA Games held in Chonburi, Thailand, on Sunday.
The reigning Olympic gold medalist registered an overall lift of 200 kilograms from the snatch and clean and jerk, placing fourth out of six athletes. Diaz-Naranjo showed early promise in the snatch event, completing her first two attempts at 88kg and 90kg. Her final lift at 92kg, however, was invalidated, leaving her with a snatch total of 90kg.
She carried that performance into the clean and jerk, opening with a successful 110kg lift. Despite the strong start, Diaz-Naranjo was unable to complete her next attempts at 115kg and 116kg, which kept her combined total at 200kg.
Host country Thailand celebrated a gold medal victory as Suratwadee Yoosarn topped the field with a total lift of 224kg. Indonesia’s Natasya Beteyob followed closely to claim silver with 218kg, while Vietnam’s Thi Tam Quang secured bronze after recording 215kg.
The result marked Diaz-Naranjo’s first time missing the SEA Games podium since the 2005 edition in the Philippines. In the years that followed, she went on to achieve historic milestones for the country, winning an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games before capturing the Philippines’ first Olympic gold in weightlifting at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Speaking after the competition, Diaz-Naranjo honestly assessed her performance and physical 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 also emphasized her perseverance, adding, “At the end of the day, hindi ako sumuko. Nag-prepare ako. And I’m happy to represent our country.”
The seasoned athlete also addressed the mental challenges she encountered after suffering a right knee injury in 2023 and failing 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 said.
Despite the setback, Diaz-Naranjo remains optimistic about what lies ahead, sharing her hope to return to Olympic qualifying events for the 2028 Los Angeles Games while continuing to support the growth of Filipino weightlifters on the global stage.
READ ALSO: Weightlifting Champion Hidilyn Diaz Eyes Teaching Role at UP