The weightlifting legacy continues as Hidilyn Diaz’s niece, Alexsandra Ann Diaz, brings immense pride to the Philippines.
Photo: Go for Gold Philippines/Facebook
On July 6, the City Government of Zamboanga’s official Facebook page congratulated Alexsandra after she won three gold medals in the Women’s 48kg category at the 2026 IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Cali, Colombia.
The 15-year-old emerging weightlifting sensation did not just bring home the gold; she set new world records too!
She set a new Youth World Record after lifting 98 kg in the clean and jerk, while recording a 77 kg lift in the snatch. She finished with a total lift of 175 kg, earning another Youth World Record. The previous record stood at 173 kg.
Aside from Alexsandra, Zamboanga’s Jay-R Colonia also brought home a gold and a silver medal for the Philippines after winning the men’s 56 kg clean and jerk event with a 140 kg lift and placing second in the snatch with a 109 kg lift.
Meanwhile, Cebu’s Althea Bacarro secured a silver and a bronze medal in the women’s 44 kg division.
Alexsandra is the niece of weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal after claiming the women’s 55 kg weightlifting event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
At just eight years old, Alexsandra was selected as one of the scholars of the Alsons Power Hidilyn Diaz Scholarship Program for Aspiring Weightlifters in 2018. Since then, she has consistently earned medals in international competitions, including three medals at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in India in 2023, a bronze medal at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, and a gold medal at the 2025 IWF World Youth Championships in Peru.
Congratulations!
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