Joanie Delgaco secured a second chance to advance in the women’s single sculls at the 2024 Paris Olympics after finishing fourth in her heat on Saturday at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. Delgaco clocked in at 7 minutes and 56.26 seconds, missing an outright quarterfinal spot.
The heat was dominated by Karolien Florijn from the Netherlands, who finished first with a time of 7 minutes and 36.90 seconds. Switzerland’s Aurelia Janzen and Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek took second and third places, clocking in at 7 minutes and 36.15 seconds and 7 minutes and 46.30 seconds, respectively.
Delgaco initially held a strong position, reaching the 500 and 1000-meter marks in third place, just 9.70 seconds behind Florijn and Janzen. However, she was overtaken by Kostanjsek by the 1500-meter mark and could not maintain her early momentum.
With only the top three finishers from each heat moving directly to the quarterfinals, Delgaco will compete in the repechage round for another chance to advance. As the first Filipina rower to compete in the Olympics, Delgaco’s performance marks a significant milestone for the Philippines, which is celebrating its centennial participation in the Summer Games.
Delgaco earned her spot in Paris by finishing fourth at the 2024 Asia Oceania Qualification Tournament last April.