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Tag: Alexsandra Diaz

  • Record-breaking weightlifters lead 13-athlete Philippine team bound for Asian Youth and Junior Championships 

    Record-breaking weightlifters lead 13-athlete Philippine team bound for Asian Youth and Junior Championships 

    The Philippines is sending a promising mix of record holders, world championship medalists, and rising young talents as a 13-athlete delegation prepares to compete in the 2026 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

     

    Leading the national team are Albert Ian Delos Santos and Alexsandra Ann Diaz, two young lifters who recently made headlines on the international stage with record-breaking performances.

     

    Delos Santos enters the competition with momentum after ruling the 71kg division at the IWF Junior World Championship in Egypt last May, where he also established a new world record in the clean and jerk. For the upcoming Asian meet, he will move down to the juniors 70kg category as he looks to continue building on his breakthrough season.

     

    Diaz, meanwhile, will carry the confidence of a dominant showing at the IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championship in Cali, Cambodia, where she captured three gold medals and broke two world records in the girls’ 48kg division.

    The niece of Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz will compete in both the youth and junior 49kg divisions in Tashkent, a category where she has already gained valuable experience competing domestically. The 15-year-old hopes to bring the same form that powered her golden campaign in Colombia.

     

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    Fourteen-year-old Alexsandra Ann Diaz, the niece of Philippine Olympic champion @diaz_hidilyn, delivered one of the country’s biggest performances on the international youth stage after sweeping three gold medals and setting two youth world records at the 2026 IWF World Youth… pic.twitter.com/vKkrKqwwKr

    — Peanut Gallery Media Network (@PGMNOfficial) July 7, 2026

    Another major contender for the Philippines is Jhodie Peralta, who returns to international competition in the 53kg youth and junior divisions after winning silver at the IWF World Championships.

    The 17-year-old continues to draw inspiration from the guidance of Hidilyn Diaz, keeping her advice in mind whenever she steps onto the platform wearing the Philippine colors.

     

    For national coach Allen Diaz, the focus now is on making sure the athletes are physically and mentally ready for another demanding international challenge.

     

    Diaz has adjusted the training schedule of Alexsandra and Jhodie to match Uzbekistan’s time zone, aiming to help the young lifters transition smoothly once they arrive in Tashkent.

     

    The Philippine delegation also features several medal-winning athletes from previous international competitions, including IWF World Championship silver and bronze medalist Althea Bacaro, who will compete in the women’s 45kg youth division.

     

    Joining Bacaro in the youth category are Rhianne Cabalida in the women’s 69kg division, Jea Mae Palagtiw in the women’s 77kg class, Jay-R Colonia in men’s 55kg, Kirby Kent Alas-as in men’s 60kg, and Jerick Icon Castro in men’s 60kg.

     

    The junior division will feature Angeline Colonia (women’s 49kg), Rosalinda Faustino (women’s 57kg), Prince Keil Delos Santos (men’s 60kg), and Mango Prince David Tarro (men’s 65kg).

     

    The coaching staff composed of Gregorio Colonia, Patrick Cielo Lee, Allen Jayfrus Diaz, Diwa Delos Santos, and Kelle Kay Rojas will oversee the national team’s campaign.

     

    The Philippine delegation heads to Tashkent on Aug. 3 ahead of the tournament scheduled from Aug. 7 to 14.

     

    The team enters the competition with confidence after producing a strong performance at the IWF World Championships in Cali, Colombia earlier this month wherein the Philippines collected 16 medals. 

     

    With a roster built around proven performers and emerging stars, the Philippines hopes to turn its recent international success into another medal-rich campaign on the Asian stage.

     

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  • Alexsandra Diaz draws motivation from Hidilyn Diaz, creates own legacy with youth world records 

    Alexsandra Diaz draws motivation from Hidilyn Diaz, creates own legacy with youth world records 

    The achievements of Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo continue to inspire the next generation of Filipino weightlifters, and one athlete carrying that inspiration is her niece, Alexsandra Ann Diaz. 

     

    The 15-year-old lifter carved out her own place in the sport after delivering a historic performance at the 2026 IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Cali, Colombia, where she swept three gold medals and shattered two youth world records in the women’s 48kg category.

     

    Rather than feeling pressure from being the niece of Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, Alexsandra sees her tita’s achievements as a source of motivation as she builds her own identity in weightlifting.

     

    “Mas motivation po (sa akin). Kasi tita ko po (si Hidilyn) gusto ko po maging parehas niya,” the younger Diaz said.

     

    The Zamboanga City native dominated the competition by topping the snatch, clean and jerk, and total categories on Monday, establishing herself as one of the biggest performers of the tournament.

     

    Diaz lifted 98kg in the clean and jerk, setting a new youth world record, while her overall total of 175kg also surpassed the previous youth world mark of 173kg. Her performance earned her a third gold medal and completed a clean sweep of the division.

     

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    She came close to rewriting another record as well, finishing just one kilogram short of breaking the snatch mark.

     

    For Alexsandra, the achievement carried a different meaning compared to her previous international success.

     

    “Iba talaga po kasi tatlong gold (medal) po (ako) tapos may world record din. Naka-break ako ng record,” she said.

     

    The accomplishment adds another highlight to an already impressive young career. In the 2025 edition of the same competition, Diaz captured gold medals in the snatch and total events while competing in the lighter 45kg category.

     

    This time, however, she stepped into a new weight class and faced a bigger challenge—one she answered with a record-setting performance.

     

    Behind her breakthrough has been a support system that includes guidance from the same family that helped elevate Philippine weightlifting to global prominence. Coach Allen Diaz expressed gratitude for Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo’s advice and support, noting how the Olympic champion helped inspire more Filipinos to take up the sport.

     

    Hidilyn’s historic victory at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where she delivered the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal, transformed the country’s weightlifting landscape and inspired a new generation of athletes like Alexsandra.

     

    Now, the younger Diaz is beginning to create a legacy of her own—one built not only on family history, but also on her own strength, discipline, and record-breaking performances.

     

    Her golden campaign in Colombia adds another milestone to the Philippines’ growing presence in international weightlifting and signals the arrival of another promising talent carrying the country’s hopes on the world stage.

     

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  • Alexsandra Ann Diaz opens World Youth Championships with three golds, two youth world records for Philippines 

    Alexsandra Ann Diaz opens World Youth Championships with three golds, two youth world records for Philippines 

    Team Philippines could not have asked for a better opening day at the IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Cali, Colombia, with 15-year-old Alexsandra Ann Diaz delivering a historic performance that announced her arrival among the sport’s brightest young talents.


    Competing in the newly introduced women’s 48-kilogram division, Diaz swept all three gold medals while rewriting the record books, giving the Philippine team an early boost in the prestigious international tournament.

     

    The Zamboanga City standout, who is the niece of Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, successfully embraced the challenge of moving up in weight after previously competing in the lighter division. Her dominance was evident from start to finish as she posted lifts of 77 kilograms in the snatch, 98 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and 175 kilograms in total.

     

    Those marks earned her gold medals in all three events while also establishing new world youth records in the clean and jerk and total lift. Diaz surpassed the previous world standards of 97 kilograms in the clean and jerk and 173 kilograms in total for the new 48kg weight class.

     

    She came within touching distance of completing a sweep of all three world records, missing the snatch standard by just one kilogram after finishing with 77 kilograms.

     

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    The performance continues an impressive rise for Diaz, who captured the girls’ 45kg title at the 2025 World Youth Championships in Lima, Peru. In that tournament, she claimed gold in the snatch with 70 kilograms and total lift with 152 kilograms, while settling for bronze in the clean and jerk after lifting 82 kilograms.

     

    Her transition to the heavier class has already paid dividends following her bronze-medal finish in the 48kg division at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.

     

    Romania’s Adelina Lorint finished second in the women’s 48kg competition after recording 74 kilograms in the snatch, 90 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and 164 kilograms in total. Venezuela’s Valeria Osorio del Valle completed the podium with a 162-kilogram total to claim bronze.

     

    The Philippines’ medal haul continued through Jay-R Colonia, who added another gold medal for the country in the men’s 56kg clean and jerk after successfully lifting 140 kilograms.

     

    Colonia also secured two silver medals by registering 109 kilograms in the snatch and a 249-kilogram total, capping another strong international showing after winning bronze at the Bahrain Asian Youth Games.

     

    Althea Bacaro likewise contributed to the Philippine campaign in the women’s 44kg division. She earned a silver medal in the clean and jerk with an 80-kilogram lift and took bronze in the total with 140 kilograms, built on a 60-kilogram snatch effort.

     

    By the end of the opening day, the Philippines had collected four gold medals, along with multiple silver and bronze finishes, placing the national team in an excellent position as the World Youth Championships continue in Colombia. Diaz’s record-breaking performance, however, stood as the defining moment of the day, highlighting the emergence of another promising Filipino weightlifting star on the world stage.

     

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