Hidilyn Diaz Gold Medal Prize Money: Philippine Olympian Takes Home $656,000

Hidilyn Diaz is a female weightlifting Olympian who recently won the Philippines’ first gold medal in history. The 30-year-old athlete set two Olympic records during the July 26 competition in the women’s 55kg division.

The Olympian is set to receive a total of $656,000 from her win given by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) along with donations from private entities. The PSC’s incentive system, RA 10699, gives a nearly $198,600 prize for gold medalists, Rappler reported.

Diaz’s prize pot was increased by commitments from Manny Pangilinan and Ramon Ang, two Philippine tycoons, who each gave $198,600, and Mikee Romero, the country’s Deputy Speaker of the House, who donated $59,500.

Meanwhile, the total prize for a Philippine Olympian winning a silver medal is $337,600 while a bronze medal is worth $139,000, the outlet noted.

Diaz initially set a 97kg after the snatch and performed a secondary lift of 124kg, bringing her total to 221kg. On her third attempt, the Philippine athlete was able to finish with a 126kg in the clean and jerk, bringing her official total to 224kg, as per NBC New York. The Tokyo Olympics is Diaz’s fourth attempt at the international competition. Her previous run was in 2016 where she won a silver medal.

The Philippine weightlifter’s 224kg total set an Olympic record and beat the second-placer, Liao Qiuyun of China, by 1kg. When Diaz made her final lift and heard the buzzer, she dropped the weight and burst into tears as her team rushed toward her to embrace her, Yahoo Sports reported.

Diaz’s historic win was commemorated by the Philippine national anthem being played at the Olympic Games for the first time since the Asian country began competing in 1924. The gold medalist saluted in front of her country’s flag while the national anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” played in the background at the awarding ceremony, according to Fox News.

The Asian weightlifter’s prize of $650,000 is one of the highest incentives for a gold medal worldwide. Different countries offer varying amounts, with Singapore on the top spot with $1 million for a gold medal, $500,000 for a silver medal and $250,000 for a bronze medal, as per a 2018 CNBC report.