HANGZHOU, China — Rower Joanie Delgaco placed second in the semifinal heat on Friday to progress into the final of the women's single sculls in the 19th Asian Games at the Fuyang Water Sports Center.
The 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist stormed out of the gates before Shiho Yonekawa of Japan zoomed past her halfway into the 2,000-meter race to rule the race in eight minutes and 6.32 seconds.
Delgaco then maintained her speed throughout and arrived in 8:18.30, joining Yonekawa in the medal race along with third-placer Wing Wun Leung of Hong Kong (8:20.35).
Tokyo Olympian Cris Nievarez failed to reach the final after winding fourth in his semifinal heat in the men's single sculls.
Nievarez timed 7:25.65, just three seconds slower than India's Balraj Panwar (7:22.22) in the semis race where only the top three finishers from each heat advance to the finals.
China's Liang Zhang finished ahead of the pack in 7:12.77 before Kazakhstan's Vladislav Yakovlev checked in at second (7:19.27).
Besides Yonekawa and Wing, Delgaco will be in the company Uzbekistan's Anna Prakaten, China's Liu Ruiqi and Taipei's Huang Yi Ting in the medal race set on Monday.
Prakaten arrived the fastest in the other women's semis heat in 7:47.88 followed by Liu (7:55.69) and Huang (8:14.36).