MANILA – Rower Chris Nievarez will jumpstart the Team Philippines’ campaign in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when he competes in the men’s single sculls preliminary heats event this 7:30 in the morning at the Sea Forest Waterway in the island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay, Japan.
Aiming a solid start for the 19-member Philippine delegation, the 5-foot-11 Nievarez will be competing in the heat number five of his category against rowers from Croatia, Benin, Nicaragua, and Russia.
If necessary, a repechage is scheduled on Saturday to choose which three rowers among the second to fifth placers will join the top finisher to the quarterfinals.
The 21-year-old rower secured a slot at the Summer Games by virtue of continental pick in the men’s single sculls at the Asia Oceania Qualification Regatta in Tokyo last May, where he landed on the fifth spot in the Men’s Single Sculls (M1x).
At the close of the qualifying tournament, Nievarez wound up at the ninth spot in his class but moved up the ladder after some rowers ahead of him have been qualified for other events where they earned better clockings.
“I am very excited because I will have a chance to go up against the best rowers in the world,” Nievarez said. “The goal is to try to keep in step with those who are leading and try to sustain it until the finish line.”
Philippine Rowing Association president Patrick Gregorio, for his part, lauded Nievarez for becoming the first Filipino rower to compete in the Olympics since Benjamin Tolentino in 2000.
“For rowing to send one of its athletes to the Olympics after 20 years is a feat,” said Gregorio. “Chris is a promising young man, and his journey starts in Tokyo. Rowing is a beautiful sport. We can excel in this.”/PN
