Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines’ greatest athlete of all time, failed to climb the podium of the Asian Games, finishing at fourth place on her debut lift in the women’s 59 kg. division in weightlifting Monday in Hangzhou.

However, one of her junior partners, Elreen Ando, reclaimed the weightlifting medal for Team Philippines as she managed to bag the bronze in the women’s 64 kg. division.

The 25-year-old Ando lifted a total of 222 kg., besting surprise lifter Tsabitha Ramatani of Indonesia from the lower-tier Group B by seven kilograms for the medal.

Ando also lifted a personal best of 126 kg. in the clean and jerk, recovering from her lackadaisical snatch lift of 96 kg.

The 32-year-old Diaz, meanwhile, lifted a total of 223 kg.—a kilo shy of her Olympic gold medal winning lift of 224 kg. made in the 55 kg. division.

It was not enough, though, to dislodge reigning 59 kg. Olympic champ Kuo Hsing-Chun of Taiwan, who lifted four kilograms more than Diaz’s for the bronze.

North Korea, though, proved to be the world’s best weightlifting nation in their return to competition for the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic, as they have bagged the gold medals in Diaz’s and Ando’s weight division on top of two more gold won last Saturday via wide margins.

Near medals

It was a story of missed medal opportunities though for the Philippines topped by Diaz’s miss in weightlifting.

In softball, the Blu Girls succumbed to a crucial fifth inning homerun by Taiwanese Lin Feng Cheng for a double RBI as the nationals placed fourth for a third straight Asiad in the battle for bronze, 2-3.

The Blu Girls had a chance to tie the game in the final inning as Mary Joy Maguad singled off an Alaiza Talisik RBI but Skyllyne Ellazar was thrown out by second basewoman Yang Yi-Ting resulting from a killer pickoff by pitcher Ke Hsia Ai.

In track and field, John Tolentino placed fourth in the men’s 110 hurdles race final with 13.62 seconds as China’s Xu Zhuoyi secured the bronze medal with 13.5 seconds.

In sepak takraw, the men’s national quadrant team absorbed a surprise loss against India, 16-21, 15-21 to be denied of an outright medal and semis slot as they are placed in a do-or-die game against Singapore tomorrow morning.

Achievements

Three unlikely athletes reached the quarterfinals of their respective sport

In archery, veteran Amaya Cojuangco upset former world champion Chen Yi-Hsuan of China in the round of 16 to set a quarterfinals date against current world champion and teenage prodigy Aditi Swami of India in women’s individual compound.

In squash, the mixed doubles pair of Jemyca Aribado and Robert Andrew Garcia defeated Sri Lanka and China, all in three sets, in Pool B for an outright quarterfinals berth.

In women’s basketball, Gilas Women exited in the quarterfinals, absorbing a 71-93 loss to four-time gold medalist South Korea. Jack Animam towed the nationals with 15 points and 14 boards.

It was still a successful stint for the Pinays as they have won their first basketball games in Asiad history. Their previous stint was a winless campaign in 1998. They exit Hangzhou with a 2-2 card.

On the men’s side, Gilas Pilipinas routed Qatar, 80-41, in the playoffs for the quarterfinal as they are set to meet Iran tomorrow afternoon.