PARIS. – Rower Joanie Delgaco returns to the posh Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium Tuesday afternoon for the biggest race of her life.
Drawn with no less than the reigning champ and tough bets from Europe in Heat 3 of the quarterfinals, Delgaco faces tall odds, needing to finish in the top three to advance to the semifinals A and B (medal contention) of the Paris Games here.
There’s no turning back for the 26-year-old Iriga native, one of only four Asians who made the top 24 of the women’s single sculls here.
She has achieved her initial goal of being among the top five Asians here and now wants to raise the bar — crack the top 20 overall.
Delgaco will automatically be in the top 12 if she makes the semifinals.
Armed with a clocking of 7:55.00 in the repechage after doing 7:56.26 in the heats, Delgaco would definitely need miles of water to navigate if she intends to catch up with the world powers.
She is racing in the quarterfinals with Tokyo gold medalist Emma Twigg of New Zealand, former under-23 world champion Katharina Jansen of Switzerland, Virginia Diaz of Spain, Diana Dymchenko of Azerbaijan and Jovana Arsic of Serbia.
Twigg, also a former world champion, four-time silver winner and three-time bronze winner, had a remarkable 7:13.97 clocking in taking the top podium finish in Tokyo.
And the rest clocked better than Delgaco in the previous races here. Delgaco has been told by her coaches to stay focused and give her best.
The other Asians vying in the quarterfinals are Iranian Fatemeh Mojallaltopraghghale, Vietnamese Thi Hue Pham and Uzbek Anna Prakaten.
