Filipino rower Cris Nievarez qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

Add Cris Nievarez to the growing list of Filipino athletes competing this year in the Tokyo Olympics.

The Philippine Rowing Association on Monday announced that the Filipino rower has qualified for the Summer Games after confirmation from the World Rowing Federation.

The 2019 SEA Games gold medalist becomes the country’s eighth athlete to qualify in the Tokyo Games after EJ Obiena (pole vault), Carlos Yulo (gymnastics), Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting) and Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam, and Nesthy Petecio (boxing).

“We are happy to share that the Philippine Rowing Association received confirmation from World Rowing that we have qualified for the men’s singles sculls (M1x) for the Tokyo Olympic Games,” the federation said in a post.

The 20-year-old paddler had an impressive stint during the 2021 Asia and Oceania Olympic Continental Qualification Regatta in Tokyo, Japan last week and although it was a winless run, the Filipino wound up ninth in the overall rankings of the men’s single sculls category.

During the qualifiers, he placed fourth in his category and in order to keep his Olympic dreams alive, he had to race in the repechage where he finished first after clocking eight minutes and 11.40 seconds.

In the semifinals, however, he settled for a fifth place finish.

The pairs of Joanie Delgaco and Melcah Jen Caballero, and Zuriel Sumintac and Roque Abala Jr., meanwhile, have officially bowed out of contention after failing to triumph in the same qualifying tournament. —Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News