Paris Olympics: Rower Joanie Delgaco stays in medal contention

FILE–Joanie Delgaco and Melcah Jen Cabrallero (foreground) of the Philippines compete with Indonesia’s Mutiare Rahma Putri and Melani Putri (background) during the lightweight women’s double sculls heat at the 2021 World Rowing Asia-Oceania Olympic and Paralympic Continental Qualifying Regatta in Tokyo on May 6, 2021, where the Olympic and Paralympic Games events will be held. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Joanie Delgaco kept her medal hopes alive in the Paris Olympics 2024 after dominating the repechage 1 on Sunday (Manila time) at National Olympic Nautical Stadium in France.

The Filipino rower had no time to dwell on her tough setback of missing an outright quarterfinal berth in Heat 2 less than 24 hours ago as she still made it to the next round, clocking 7:55 to top the repechage round.

Delgaco advanced to the quarterfinals with Vietnamese Pham Thi Hue, who placed second in their repechage heat, finishing the race at 8:00.97.

The first Filipina rower to qualify for the Olympics made the most of her second chance as she led the race from start to finish.

Cuba’s Yariulvis Cobas failed to advance with 8:10.64 time as third placer as well as Nicaragua’s Evidilia Gonzales (8:26.23) and Togo’s Akoko Komlanvi (8:43.11).

The 26-year-old Delgaco lost steam in the first round as she dropped from third to fourth place with a time of 7:56.26.

The Netherlands’ Karolien Florijn got the outright quarterfinals berth at 7:36.90 with Sweden’s Aurelia-Maxima Janzen(7:41.15) and Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek (7:46.30) in Heat 2 on Saturday.