Chinese coach GAO Kaiwen, 64, who trained Filipina athlete Hidilyn Diaz as the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo Olympics, has remained non-committal about his next plans.
Gao didn’t reveal his plans after his return to China where he will meet his family from whom he’s been away for almost three years.
The retired coach of the Chinese Bayi weightlifting team will return to China in a few weeks.
RELATED STORY: LOOK: Hidilyn Diaz receives Php3 million reward from Mikee Romero after Olympics win
Earlier, Diaz ended the Philippines’ 97 years of wait to win Olympic gold medal. She beat world record holder Liao Quiyun of China.
Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP), Monico Puentevella, admitted that Gao has asked that his contract, which runs until December, be terminated and will only be getting his salary for the last month before leaving for China.
As per the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Gao has been receiving a monthly salary of $2,500 since 2018. He started coaching Diaz from Asian Games in Jakarta where the Filipina also won the gold.
READ ON: LOOK: Hidilyn Diaz receives ‘golden car’ after Olympic gold win
He is credited for the success of Diaz’s including bronze medal in the IWF World Championships, a gold in the Manila Southeast Asian Games and the World Cup in Italy before culminating in a record-breaking feat in Tokyo.
Diaz is the third Olympic gold medalist coached by Gao and the only one not belonging to China. Earlier he trained two of his country’s previous Olympic gold winners, Zhou Lulu in the 75-kg category during the 2012 London Olympics and Chen Xiexia in the 2008 Beijing Games. (AW)
