PATTAYA, Thailand – Paris Olympian Joanie Delgaco admitted her gold on Tuesday in the women’s rowing double sculls with Kristine Paraon was unexpected.
Delgaco came into the SEA Games with only two competitions since she competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. From the time between the Olympics last year and the SEA Games, Delgaco was mostly attending to her military training at the Navy.
That lengthy break appeared to have an effect in the heats when Delgaco and Paraon placed only third in the preliminaries with a clocking of eight minutes, 30.154 seconds last Sunday.
READ: Delgaco, Paraon deliver rowing's first gold medal at SEA Games
But leaning on her natural abilities, inspiration from his family that included her father Bernardo, and teamwork with Paraon, Delgaco won the gold in convincing fashion clocking 8:16.976 to beat Thailand by nearly five seconds at the Royal Thai Navy Rowing and Canoeing Training Centre.
The 27-year-old Delgaco won her second lightweight double sculls gold of her SEA Games career.
“Actually, kagabi, iniisip ko na pahirapan pa ‘yung bronze. Pero sabi ko sa sarili ko bago ako matulog kagabi, grabe talaga pag si Lord na ang gumalaw. Walang imposible,” said Delgaco, whose last competition was last October in the Asian Rowing Championships last October in Vietnam.
When asked why the gold was unexpected, Delgaco said:
“Actually, nag-worry ako sa sarili ko kasi mag-one year din akong wala sa rowing dahil sa military training. And after Paris, medyo nagpahinga ako dahil mahabang training ‘yung nangyari sa akin nung nakaraang taon.
Delgaco said the presence of her father at the venue also served as an inspiration.
“And ‘yung nangyari ngayong race, hindi ko na inisip ‘yung pagkukulang ko sa mga training. Dinaan ko na lang sa tiwala sa sarili, tiwala sa partner and thankful ako ‘yung family ko nasa finish line. Naging inspirasyon ko sila from start hanggang dulo,” said Delgaco.
Paraon also won her first SEA Games gold after a bronze in the quadruple sculls in Hanoi in 2022 with Delgaco, Amelyn Pagulayan, and Josephine Mireille Qua.
“Katulad ng sabi ni Ate Jo, hindi namin ineexpect ‘yung gold kasi malalakas din po kalaban namin. Tiwala lang po sa isa’t isa at alam namin ‘yung pinagdaanan namin na training. Salamat din kay Ate Jo na siya lead ko kasi isa rin siya sa inspirasyon ko sa rowing,” said Paraon.
Delgaco still has an event the lightweight women’s singles sculls and a substitute in the women’s quadruple sculls.
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