Delgaco tops repechage, gains quarterfinals

PARIS – Olympic rookie rower Joanie Delgaco breathed life on her Cinderella bid.

In a virtual knockout race, Delgaco battled with great resolve, leading repechage 1 from start to finish en route to a quarterfinals entry in the 2024 Paris Games women’s single sculls event.

“Joanie just made history,” said Philippine Rowing Association president Patrick Gregorio, ecstatic with Delgaco cracking the Top 24 in her first Olympic journey.

Delgaco is actually the first Filipina rower to ever make the summer spectacle.

A pocket number of Filipino supporters at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium stood as witnesses as Delgaco shone brightly in the race, topping Vietnam’s Thi Hue Pham, Cuba’s Yariulvis Cobas Garcia, Nicaragua’s Evidelia Gonzalez Jarquin and Togo’s Akoko Komlanvi.

In better groove than in her first race Saturday, the Iriga City native clocked 7:55.00, winning comfortably over second placer and fellow quarters qualifier Pham (8:00.97).

Eased out of the medal play were the rowers from Cuba, Nicaragua and Togo.

“Maganda ang start at na-sustain,” said coach Ed Maerina on the strong performance of the 26-year-old Filipina bet.

In her heat on Saturday, Delgaco was among the strong starters but faded in the closing meters, thus, missing an outright quarters entry with a fourth-place finish in 7:56.26 over the 2,000m race.

She takes a rest Monday before facing the giants of the sport in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Drawing of lots will determine four groups of six rowers each. The top three from each group will progress to semifinals A and B (in medal contention) while the fourth to sixth placers will be relegated to semifinals C and D (ranking).

“We have confidence in Joanie’s ability, but as always we implore her to stay focused, calm and give her very best in any race no matter the competitors,” said Gregorio.

In Tokyo in 2021, Cris Niavarez also made the quarterfinals before eventually finishing 23rd out of 31.