MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines can still send a rower to the Olympic Games after Cris Nievarez's triumph in the repechage race of the men's single sculls this afternoon in the Asia-Oceania continental qualifiers in Tokyo, Japan.
Nievarez was strong throughout the 2000m race and crossed the line with a time of 8:11.40.
He was comfortably ahead of Thailand's Chanin Sinsomboon, who finished second with a time of 8:39.80, and third-placer Ali Buojallouf of Qatar (9:15.76).
With the result, Nievarez qualified for the semifinals of the event that will take place on Friday morning. There will be two semifinal heats, with the top three finishers moving on to the finals that afternoon.
The top five finishers in the finals will then secure a spot in the Tokyo Olympics.
Nievarez, a gold medalist in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, was relegated to the repechage after finishing in fourth place in the heats on Thursday morning. He tallied a time of 8:21.05, some three minutes behind third-placer Mohammed Al-Khafaji of Iraq.
The top three finishers in the morning's heat advanced to the semifinals outright.
If Nievarez secures an Olympic berth, he will be the first Filipino rower to compete in the Summer Games since Benjie Tolentino in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Unfortunately, other Filipino rowers faltered.
Roque Abala Jr. and Zuriel Sumintac came in fourth place in the repechage of the lightweight men's double sculls, with a time of 7:39.35. Only the top two finishers in the event advanced to the finals.
Joanie Delgaco and Meloah Jen Caballero could not sustain a strong start and finished in third place in the lightweight women's double sculls with a time of 8:14.30.
The pair was in second place after the first 500 meters but the Korean tandem of Wonbeen Jang and Chaerim Kang overtook them in the next 500m, and Delgaco and Caballero fell behind.
PH's Cris Nievarez stays alive in Olympic rowing qualifiers - ABS-CBN News
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