Olympic silver medallist Hidilyn Diaz said sees a marked improvement in the way she performs under a new coach Gao Kaiwen.
Gao, who came aboard last June, has been making Diaz lift heavier weights with a new routine and techniques.
“Binago niya ang lifting technique ko. Mas maganda dahil less ang pain ang nararamdaman ko from injury,” said Diaz.
The 27-year-old Diaz talked about her preparations for the coming 2018 Asian Games last Sunday at the end of the 2018 Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Open Championships at the Meralco Fitness Center in Ortigas, Pasig.
Gao, who recently took over from coach Tony Agustin, is currently the head coach of the Chinese national women’s army team. He has successfully coached two Chinese to medals in the Olympics, one of whom is Zhou Lulu, who in 2012, took home the gold in the 75kg+ category.
Then, there’s Chen Xiexia, who did it in 2008 in the 48kg event.
In training for the women’s 53 kg category, Diaz said she is lifting a personal best of 88 kgs in the squats, and 110 kgs in the clean and jerk.
Last summer, Diaz returned to the 58-kg class and lifted 90 kg in the snatch, and a 115 kg in the clean and jerk.
This gave her the gold medal in the women’s open competition of the 2018 Philippine National Games weightlifting meet in Cebu.
