This marked the best finish a Filipina rower registered in the Olympics.
That’s how you row!
Team Philippines’ Joanie Delgaco clocked in 7:43.83 seconds, good for 2nd place in the Final D of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 women's single sculls event in Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Friday, August 2.
Overall, Delgaco winded up in 20th overall, a respectable finish in what already is a historic outing in her first Olympic stint.She was also the best Southeast Asian finisher after reigning SEA Games champion Pham Thi Hue of Vietnam clocked 7:47.84.
The Camarines Sur native crossed the first checkpoint at the 500-meter mark in fourth place with 1:53.30, just a second behind Thi Hue.
Delgaco then slipped to fifth at the halfway mark but found her second wind to move into the second spot just behind Paraguay’s Alejandra Alonso Alderete at the tail end of the course.
The first-ever Filipina Olympic rower tried to overhaul the deficit but eventually fell short of a win in her last race of Paris 2024. Alderete claimed the 19th place with 7:42.09.
Earlier, Delgaco finished in sixth in the semifinals C/D after clocking a time of 8 minutes and 00.18 seconds.
The 26-year-old, who is the first Filipina rower to compete in the Olympics, qualified in the quarterfinals after toppling the repechage heat with 7:55:00.
Before this, Delgaco placed fifth in the qualifiers with 7:56:26, just falling short of earning an outright quarters spot.