FOUR rowers led by Tokyo Olympian Cris Nievares left over the weekend to see action in the World Rowing Asian Rowing and Oceanian Olympic Regatta set this Friday to Saturday at the Taengum Lake International Regatta Course in Chunju, South Korea.
Leaving with Nievares were Joanie Delgaco and Rynjie Penaredondo and Zuriel Sumintac, according to accompanying national rowing coach Ed Maerina.
Both Southeast Asian Games gold medalists, Nievares and Delgaco are competing in the men’s and women’s singles sculls while Rynjie Penaredondo and Sumintac are competing in the men’s double sculls, according to Maerina.
A veteran of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Maerina said Nievares and Del Gaco and need to finish in the top five of their events while the pair of Penaredondo and Sumintac must finish in the top two in their event to seal tickets to the Paris Summer Games.
“All four have been training very, very hard for the Olympic qualifying event and we hope that they will somehow make it to the final day of their respective events and some, if not all, make it to Paris,” Maerina said.
In his Olympic debut in the Japanese capital in 2021, Nievares became the first Filipino rower to reach the quarterfinals of the single sculls before winding up 23rd overall.
The Philippine Rowing Association sent the four Olympic hopefuls early so they can acclimatize to the competition conditions in the freshwater course.
Unlike the searing hot conditions in the Philippines, the rowers can expect fair weather, averaging 17 to 25 degree Celsius this coming week, Maerina said.
