OH LA LA!

Rower Joanie Delgaco got a much-needed boost from her teammates as she made it to the finish line in the women’s single sculls final of the 2024 Asian and Oceania Olympic Qualification Regatta at the Tangeum Lake International Rowing Regatta on Sunday in Chungju, South Korea.

Delgaco said she was already aching in the final meters of the women’s single sculls but tried her best to endure the pain as members of the Philippine national rowing team cheered her on.

She finished in fourth place in the final after clocking in seven minutes and 49.39 seconds, enough to earn her a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics as only the top five finalists were given outright berths in the biggest sporting competition in the world.

“Just when I was about to cross the finish line, I could hear my teammates cheering. I told myself, ‘this is for my team,’” Delgaco said.

“Everything was painful but I had to make sure that I won’t be overtaken.”

With her inclusion, Delgaco vowed to push herself to the limit anew in France.

“This tournament showed me I can become better. I promise to give my all in every training to do good in the Olympics.”

The 26-year-old rower is the 11th Olympian to join the Philippine delegation heading to the French capital for the Summer Games which opens on 26 July.

Delgaco joins gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan and Levi Ruivivar, boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, weightlifters Elreen Ando, John Ceniza and Vanessa Sarno and pole vaulter EJ Obiena in the Philippine delegation.

Meanwhile, the quartet of Tammy Sha, Feiza Lenton, Amelyn Pagulayan, and Kristine Paraon clinched a bronze medal in the women’s quadruple sculls in the 2024 Asian Rowing Cup in the same venue.

The Filipino quartet clocked in 7:16 minutes to make it to the podium following Delgaco’s Olympic qualification.

Kazakhstan took home the gold with a time of 6:58.87 minutes and South Korea’s Korea1 team took second place with 6:59.22 minutes.

Delgaco’s feat came a day after Filipino-American gymnast Lei Ruivivar likewise secured a Paris berth after performing credibly in the 2024 FIG World Cup Series in Doha, Qatar.

As this developed, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said in a statement that excitement is building up for the Philippine delegation.

“Eleven, formally, and counting,” said POC president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino president on Sunday, after Ruivivar and Delgaco officially became the 10th and 11th Filipino Paris Olympian in a little over a 24-hour span.

Ruivivar qualified on Friday night when she grabbed a silver medal and enough qualification points to become the third Filipino gymnast.

“Congratulations to our new qualified Olympians,” Tolentino also said in his official Facebook page, noting that Delgaco is the first Filipina rower to qualify for the Olympics.

“Their dedication, perseverance and exceptional talent are an inspiration to us all.”

“The POC extends its heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for continued success as they compete in Paris 2024,” Tolentino said. “The entire Philippines stands behind you.”

Both Ruivivar and Delgaco are surprise packages in the qualifiers with just under a hundred days before the Paris Olympics.

Weightlifter Rosegie Ramos is unofficially the 12th Filipino to qualify for Paris pending the International Weightlifting Federation’s official announcement of the roster for the Games.

The country is also guaranteed three qualifiers — one in athletics and two in swimming — under the universality rule making the Filipino Olympian count unofficially at 15.

“We expect more of our athletes to be in Paris as the qualifiers in various sports are still being conducted,” Tolentino said.