By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Third time’s a charm for rower Joanie Delgaco as she aims to make the most out of her maiden appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 26-year-old Delgaco, who has been with the national team for the last eight years, said she was ecstatic to have finally clinched a berth to the global quadrennial showpiece after failing twice over the past years.
She came close to earning a spot at the Tokyo Olympics held three years ago, but missed her target by excruciatingly one second.
“After ilang attempt na mag-qualify, eto na yun. Kaya sobrang saya ko kasi andaming babaeng nag-attempt mag-qualify sa Olympics pero ako yung nabigyan ng chance ni Lord,” said Delgaco prior to her departure for France for the final phase of preparations.
A native of Iriga City, Camarines Sur, Delgaco became the first Filipina rower to qualify for the Olympics after earning one of the allocated berths at the Asia & Oceania Qualification Regatta in South Korea last April.
She also became the third Filipino rower to make it to the Games after Benjamin Tolentino in the 2000 Sydney and Cris Nievarez in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
She is expected to have a tough time making it to the podium in the women’s single sculls especially with the presence of reigning champion Emma Twigg of New Zealand and Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Magdalena Lobnig of Austria, but she will take it one step at a time.
“Yung natitirang isang buwan na training ko, dun ako magfo-focus na mababaan ko yung personal best ko at mapaganda ko yung ranking ko,” said Delgaco, who is currently ranked No. 23 in her event in the world and holds a personal-best time of 7 minutes and 39 seconds.
Delgaco is expected to train at the competition venue at the National Olympic Nautical Stadium of Ile-de-france in Vaires-sur-Marne, where she said to have choppy waves and windy conditions.
“Goal ko rin sa training yung magamay ko yung galaw ng tubig kaya thankful na rin na nagkaroon ako ng chance na makapag-training sa venue,” she said.
