Philippine rowing bet Joanie Delgaco needs to a top-two finish in the repechage if she wants to stay in medal contention for the Paris Olympics.
(Note: This article has been updated to reflect Joanie Delgaco’s schedule and opponents in the repechage this Sunday, July 30.)
Filipina rower Joanie Delgaco will now be paddling on narrow waters after her performance on Saturday’s women’s single sculls opener at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in Île-de-France.
Rowing through a gloomy Nautical Stadium, Delgaco registered a time of 7:56.26, which granted her a fourth-place finish in Heat 2. Though she just missed out on an early ticket to the qualifiers granted to the top three rowers per heat, she still remains in medal contention as she heads to the repechage rounds, scheduled to take place tomorrow.
However, Delgaco came close to securing a top-three finish, starting strong to maintain third place until the halfway mark. The rower would flame out en route to the 1,500-meter mark, as she was overtaken by Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek, who maintained her hold on the third spot until the finish line.
Two-time world champion Karolien Florijn led the pack in Heat 2 with a final time of 7:36.90. She was followed by Swiss paddler Aurelia Janzen, who registered 7:41.15.
Joanie Delgaco will have one final shot at a quarterfinals slot in Sunday’s repechage, where she needs to secure a top-two finish. Competing in Repechage 1, Delgaco will be grouped with Nicaragua’s Evidelia Gonzalez Jarquin, Puerto Rico’s Yariulvis Cobas Garcia, Vietnam’s Thi Hue Pham, and Togo’s Akoko Komlanvi.
If Delgaco pulls off the repechage comeback, she will then need to produce consistent top-three finishes to keep her Paris Olympics medal dreams alive.
Up next for the Philippines will be Carlos Yulo, who’s set to open his redemption bid in the men’s artistic gymnastics qualifier at the Bercy Arena later today.
Banner Image from Joanie Delgaco on Facebook.
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