Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) – Filipino rower Cris Nievarez concluded his maiden Olympic stint with an overall finish of 23rd place out of 32 rowers.
Nievarez finished fifth in the Final D classification race of the Tokyo Olympics men’s single sculls event on Friday at the Sea Forest Waterway.
The Atimonan, Quezon native clocked in at seven minutes and 21.28 seconds, over two seconds behind fourth placer Mohammed Al Khafaji of Iraq.
Kazakhstan’s Vladislav Yakovlev topped the Final D classification race, where rowers fought for the 19th to 24th spots.
Greece’s Stefanos Ntouskos took home the men’s single sculls gold while Norway’s Kjetil Borch bagged the silver medal. Croatia’s Damir Martin, whom Nievarez faced in the preliminary heat, settled for a bronze medal finish.
Nievarez is the first Filipino rower to qualify for the Olympics after 21 years, and third overall after his coach Ed Maerina in 1988 and Benjamin Tolentino in 2000.
