CRIS Nievarez kept his Olympic aspirations afloat yesterday by reaching the semifinals of the men’s singles sculls of the World Rowing Asia-Oceania Olympic Continental Qualification regatta at the Sea Forest Waterway overlooking Tokyo Bay.
Relegated to the repechage phase after finishing fourth in the first heat, Nievarez frantically rowed like there was no tomorrow to top the 2,000-meter race in eight minutes and 11.40 seconds, a dramatic improvement over his heat time of 8:21.05.
The 30th Southeast Asian Games men’s lightweight single sculls champion will compete in the semifinals today starting at 9:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. Manila time) to decide who will reach the finals less than an hour later.
“There will be two semifinal races with the top three finishers from each one advancing to the finals,” coach Ed Maerina said, adding the top five finishers in the finals will secure berths to the Tokyo Summer Games in July.
A native of Atimonan, Quezon, Nievarez, 21, has been with the national team since he was 15 and will be the lone Filipino campaigner today after the pairs of Roque Abala Jr. and Zuriel Sumintac and Melcah Jean Caballero and Joanie del Gaco bowed out in the men’s and women’s doubles lightweight sculls, respectively.
Competing in the repechage phase where two teams will advance to the semis, Abala and Sumintac finished fourth in 7:39.45 while the Del Gaco-Caballero tandem finished third (8:14.30) after coming up fourth and third place, respectively, in their earlier heats.
Maerina said the rowers were surprised by the early morning cold weather of 17-degree Celsius that gave them a very short time to warm up and strong winds that made conditions extremely challenging.
“Di pa siya (Nievarez) naka-adjust sa lamig kaninang umaga. Ang sabi niya di siya makagalaw kaagad at tumigas ‘yong shoulder niya,” Maerina said. “Medyo 40 minutes yong required na warm-up sa tubig.
“Dapat makapal ang warm-up jacket kung ganito kalamig,” added Maerina, who will make sure that Nievarez would be well-prepared today.
The last time the country had an Olympic representative in the men’s singles sculls was in 2000 when Benjie Tolentino competed in the Sydney Games.
