TOKYO — By making the quarterfinals of the men's single sculls, Cris Nievarez has reached uncharted waters for Filipino rowers.
Only the third Filipino rower to qualify for the Olympics, the native of Sariaya, Quezon did one better when he finished third in his heat over the 2,000-meter course at the Sea Forest Waterway on Friday.
“Masarap sa pakiramdam, unang race, unang sabak, masaya, para ito sa Pilipinas,” said Nievarez, a last-minute qualifier who joined Benjie Tolentino and coach Ed Maerina as the only Filipino rowers to get as far as the Olympics.
His time of 7:22.97 in Heat 5 was way behind the two world-class rowers in front of him – Croatia’s Damir Martin (7:09.17), the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, and Russian Alexander Vyazovkin (7:14.95), the reigning world indoor champion.
Nievarez only one of two Asian qualifiers
The first-time Olympian went side by side with Vyazovkin and Nicaragua’s Felix Potoy in the first 500 meters. And when he eventually faded, he did enough to nose out a Nicaraguan rower for third place and the final quarterfinal place.
“Nauna na talaga ‘yung Croatian, pero kami ng Russian and ‘yung Nicaraguan, halos sabay lang sa first 500 meters," he said. "Noong 750 meters, nauna na ako sa Nicaraguan."
Nievarez is the only Southeast Asian qualifier in men’s singles sculls and one of only two Asians left after the preliminaries, joining local bet Ryuta Arakawa who placed second in the final heat.
He faces greater odds in Sunday's quarterfinals, but vowed to give it his best shot.
“Mamaya, pag-aaralan namin ang oras ng lahat ng pumasok, kung sino ‘yung makakaharap ko sa quarterfinals at kung anong oras ang kailangan habulin,” said Nievarez.
Rowing association treasurer Magnum Membrere is also unfazed by the task at hand.
“One race at a time, on to Sunday,” he said.
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