HIDILYN DIAZ-NARANJO is opting for a meticulous 2023 season calendar as she focuses on returning to the Olympics in Paris 2024.
That could mean this September’s Hangzhou 19th Asian Games would be stricken off because it’s not an Olympic qualifying event.
“We’re thinking and considering about not participating in the Asian Games,” Diaz-Naranjo told BusinessMirror on Tuesday. “We have to choose Olympic qualifying-standard tournaments over the Asian Games to conserve strength and energy.”
Diaz-Naranjo is practically starting from scratch as she seeks a second Olympic gold medal in a heavier weight class at 59 kgs. She won silver (Rio de Janeiro 2016) and finally gold (Tokyo 2021) at 55 kgs, an event scratched from the Paris program.
“We’re prioritizing so we really get to have quality recovery and rest to gain more strength for the Olympic qualifiers,” said Diaz-Naranjo who simply celebrated her 32nd last Monday with her Team HD, close relatives, friends and students in her weightlifting camp in Jala-Jala, Rizal.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to chase another gold medal in Paris,” said Diaz-Naranjo who earlier declared she’s passing the opportunity to win gold at the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games in May.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) set a Paris Olympics qualifying window between August 2022 and April 2024 with Diaz-Naranjo passing with flying colors her first qualifier at last December’s Bogota world championships where she swept three gold medals.
Diaz-Naranjo needs to participate in at least six qualifiers for Paris and she has several chances at the Senior Continental Championships in South Korea in May, three IWF Grand Prix tournaments the venue and dates have yet to be announced, IWF Worlds 2024, Senior Continental Championships 2024 and the IWF World Cup.
“Training is a priority because we can always celebrate after,” Diaz-Naranjo’s husband and coach Julius Naranjo said. “The weight of the country weighs on our shoulders and we will continue to lift it up with God’s grace.”
Hangzhou is hosting the Asian Games—where Diaz-Naranjo won gold in the 18th edition in Jakarta in 2018—from September 23 to October 8.
Two-time world gymnastics champion Carlos “Caloy” Yulo is also skipping Hangzhou in favor of the world championships, an Olympic qualifier Belgium is hosting in Antwerp simultaneously with the Asiad from September 30 to October 8.