It is the heartwarming news we all need right about now. Today, female weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz became the first ever Olympic gold medallist for the Philippines. She won the 55kg category and set an Olympic record with a clean and jerk of 124kg and then lifting 127kg.
As Diaz stepped onto the podium on Tuesday, she broke into tears. The road to victory was certainly not easy with the athlete spending much of 2020 stuck in Malaysia where she was stranded from family and friends and forced to train using bottles of water. In April of last year, Diaz was travelling to Peru for an Olympic qualifying event when travel bans were put into effect.
On Instagram she shared her home lifting technique. “No barbel, no problem,” she wrote. “Bamboo stick and two big bottles of water.”
I’m not crying, you’re crying. Upon winning the medal she told reporters her plan was to “eat”. And, same.
“Yes, I will eat a lot tonight,” Diaz told Yahoo. “I mean, I’ve been sacrificing my food, and this is the time to celebrate together with the people who are behind me. So I’m really thankful I can eat now, yes.”
In case you missed it (and trust me, you don’t want to miss these) here are more heartwarming, tear-jerking moments from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games so far.
British Diver Thomas Daley’s Powerful Message
Britain’s Thomas Daley has shared his message of solidarity with other LGBTQ athletes after sweeping gold in synchronised diving. In a press conference following the win, he said, “I hope that any young LGBTIQ person out there can see that no matter how alone you think you are, you are not alone. And that you can achieve anything.”
This Argentine Fencer receives a surprise marriage proposal
If you’re a die-hard romantic like us, then you’ll fall head-over-heels for this coach who proposed to his partner, Argentinian fencer María Belén Pérez Maurice. In the middle of an interview she turned around to see him holding a sign that read, “Will you marry me?”.
Watch the moment below.
Australian Swimmer’s massive win and hilarious media blunder
Kaylee McKeown was so elated to have won the 100m women’s backstroke that she accidentally dropped an f-bomb during her post-race interview. When asked what message she had for her family back home, she let out an enthusiastic “f**k yeah!” before realising she had just sworn on live television.
⚠️ Viewer discretion advised ⚠️
It's fair to say Kaylee McKeown is pumped to be an Olympic gold medallist 🥇😅#7Olympics | #Tokyo2020 | #Swimming pic.twitter.com/6oRgi3VlNQ
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) July 27, 2021
japan’s Momiji Nishiya Becomes The youngest Ever Gold Medal Winner
For the first time ever, the Olympic Games introduced skateboarding to its lineup of disciplines. What’s more groundbreaking? Overnight two 13-year-old’s shared the podium for the women’s street competition. Japan’s Momiji Nishiya became one of the youngest athletes to win gold while her fellow young competitor, Brazil’s Rayssa Leal, placed second.
An Emotional Standing Ovation To Farewell 46-year-old Gymnast
Oksana Chusovitina, a 46-year-old gymnast, has received an emotional standing ovation after completing her final Olympic games – her eighth one, no less! Over her Olympic career, she has represented Germany, the Soviet Union and Uzbekistan and won gold in the 1992 Olympics.
Ariarne Titmus Wins Gold But Her Coach Steals tHE shOW
Twenty-year-old Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus stunned the world as she won the 400m freestyle final. But it was her coach Dean Boxall who went viral for his hilarious reaction in the stands. In short, the man went ballistic, scared a Japanese official and even threw in a cheeky hip thrust amid the celebration. I have’t been able to stop watching it since. Someone, give the camera man a pay rise.
Ariarne Titmus' coach Dean Boxall is all of Australia rn 😂#Tokyo2020 | #7Olympics | #Swimming pic.twitter.com/VI0K8vZLzW
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) July 26, 2021
the German Gymnastics team Fight sexualisation with Unitards
As previously reported by GRAZIA (check out all the details here), the German Gymnastics Team garnered headlines this week after they competed in non-traditional unitards. According to one of the athletes, it was in a bid to fight sexualisation within the women’s discipline.
Myanmar’s lone swimmer pulls out of Olympic Games In A stand Against government
Melbourne-based, Myanmar-born Win Htet Oo announced he had pulled out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Sunday. He was to represent his home country as their only swimmer but in a stand against the government and the military coup which broke out in February, he felt he couldn’t represent the flag.
“After the February coup I knew I couldn’t go to the Olympic Games,” he told The Guardian. “It was a very easy decision to make, even after training for two decades for the chance to go to the Olympics.
“I just couldn’t bring myself to attend, if [the MOC] was being controlled by the military.”
