MANILA -- Joanie Delgaco missed out on a Paris Olympics medal after crashing out in the quarterfinals of rowing’s women’s single sculls event at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
Delgaco finished sixth and last in Heat 3 of the quarterfinal phase with a time of seven minutes and 58.3 seconds, slower than her first two runs over the weekend.
She clocked 7:56.26 during the first round on Saturday, July 27, while going faster at 7:55 flat the day after en route to winning her repechage heat that earned her the last ride to the quarterfinals.
As expected, defending champion Emma Twigg of New Zealand ruled Heat 3 after finishing at 7:26.89, while former under-23 world champ Katharina Janzen of Switzerland was second at 7:31.12.
Drama unfolded in the battle for third as Spain’s Virginia Diaz blitzed within the last 500 meters to steal the last Division A semifinal spot from Serbia’s Jovana Arsic.
Diaz clocked 7:34.01, while Arsic, visibly frustrated, dropped to fifth at 7:56.18.
Delgaco, Arsic and fourth-placer Diana Dymchenko of Azerbaijan are playing in the Division C semifinals as of posting time to finish their campaign strong even without a medal.
The 26-year-old native of Iriga City, Camarines Sur became the first female rower of the Philippines to qualify for the Olympics after finishing fourth in the World Rowing Asian and Oceania Olympic Qualification in Chungju, South Korea in April.
Edgardo Maerina (1988 Seoul), Benjamin Tolentino Jr. (2000 Sydney) and Cris Nievarez (2020 Tokyo) were the other Filipino rowers who made it to the Olympics. / PNA