By REY C. LACHICA
In rowing, height is also might.
So understandingly, odds are stacked against the Philippines’ lone entry Joanie Delgaco when rowing competition in the Paris Olympics begins Saturday, July 27, at the National Olympic Nautical Stadium of Île-de-France in Vaires-sur-Marne.
She stands only at 5-foot-5, a midget among the giants in the women’s single scull field.
She will be ranged against a 6-footer in reigning Olympic Emma Twigg of New Zealand and a 6-foot-2 and 2022 World Cup winner Karolien Florijn of the Netherlands.
“Si Joanie isa sa pinakamaliit sa lahat, si Twigg hindi naman kalakihan pero most experienced siya sa lahat,” said coach Ed Maerina in a text message. “But the rest, matatangkad, si Twiff fit na fit pa.”
Not to be left out is Uzbek Anna Prakaten who won the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou, China last year.
Other rowers to watch in the 2,000-meter contest are Australian Tara Rigney, German Alexandra Foester and Tatsiana Klimovich, a Belarusian but who will be competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete.
All of them look imposing with their height and muscles.
Maerina, who competed in the Seoul Olympics in 1988, knows the level of competition, so realistically, the 26-year-old Delgaco has little chance to pull off an upset unless a miracle happens.
Her time of seven minutes and 23 seconds pales in comparison to the 7:13.57 of Twigg when she reigned in the event in Tokyo three years ago. The world mark of 7:07.71 remains unbeatable since Bulgarian Rumvana Nevkova registered it during the World Championship in Seville, Spain.
But Maerina would be happy if the former volleyball star of Iriga City – she competed in the Palarong Pambansa – would beat the three other Asians in the event, including rivals from Singapore and Vietnam.
