Joanie Delgaco races for final time in Olympics, vies for 19th to 24th places

MANILA, Philippines – Filipina rower Joanie Delgaco will race for the last time in the Paris Olympics.

Delgaco dropped to the classification final D of the women’s single sculls after placing fifth in her semifinal C/D race with a time of 8 minutes and 00.18 seconds at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Wednesday, July 31.

Crossing the first 500m at fourth place, Delgaco fell to sixth midway through but pushed herself in the final 500m to avoid finishing last in the race topped by Serbia’s Jovana Arsic (7:44.60).

Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek (7:48.86) and Brazil’s Beatriz Cunha Tavares Cardoso (7:49.96) were second and third as they joined Arsic in the final C, where the 13th to 18th places will be contended.

Paraguay’s Alejandra Alonso Alderete (7:56.50) beat Delgaco for fourth, while Iran’s Fatemeh Mojallaltopraghghale (8:06.23) ended up sixth. 

It was the slowest finish for Delgaco in the Olympics after clocking 7:56.26 in the heats, 7:55.00 in the repechage, and 7:58.30 in the quarterfinals.

Delgaco, though, can end her campaign on a high note as she vies for the 19th to 24th places in the final D set on Saturday, August 3.

Only Benjamin Tolentino secured a top-20 finish among the three previous rowers that represented the Philippines in the Olympics as he placed 18th in the men’s single sculls in the 2000 Sydney Games.

Also competing in the men’s single sculls, Ed Maerina (1988 Seoul) and Cris Nievarez (2020 Tokyo) ranked 22nd and 23rd, respectively. – Rappler.com