Cris Nievarez inched closer to an Olympic berth while two national team pairs fell out of contention in rowing’s Asia Oceania Continental Qualification in Tokyo, Japan Thursday, May 6.
Published May 1, 2021, 4:30 PM
The five-man Philippine rowing team together with head coach Ed Mayrina (Photo from Philippine Rowing Association)
The five-man Philippine rowing team left for Tokyo, Japan early Saturday, May 1, to vie for Olympic berths in the Asia Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta set May 5 to 7.
The team composed of Melcah Jean Caballero, Joanie Delgaco, Roque Abala Jr, Zuriel Sumintac and Cris Nievarez hopes to end the two-decade-old drought in the Olympics where the last rower to qualify was Benjie Tolentino at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Caballero and Delgaco will compete in the lightweight women’s double sculls, Nievarez in men’s single sculls, and Abala and Sumintac and the lightweight men’s double sculls where three tickets in the doubles events and five in the singles will advance to the Tokyo Olympics slated late July.