Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 9) – Exactly two weeks before his anticipated Olympic debut, Tokyo-bound rower Cris Nievarez gained significant progress in his strength and stamina.
National team head coach Ed Maerina relayed the development to CNN Philippines, adding that refining Nievarez’s rowing skills and increasing his body weight were their main focus in training after they received the news of the 21-year-old rower’s Olympic qualification last May 10.
With the help of their nutritionist, Maerina said Nievarez’s weight climbed from 76 kilos to 78.5 kilos. Maerina emphasized the need to increase his weight for him to be bulked up in the competition day.
“But our target weight for Cris is 79 kilograms so he needs to gain a few kilos to boost his strength and speed while on water,” said Maerina.
In terms of his rowing skills, the rowing ace from Atimonan, Quezon showed remarkable improvement in his speed during their weekly time trials according to Maerina.
From his time of 7 minutes and 28 seconds in his semifinal finish in the Olympic qualifiers, Nievarez has been logging better time between 7 minutes and 16 seconds and 7 minutes and 18 seconds in their time trials at La Mesa Dam.
“I told him that we should target a time of below 7:15 (7 minutes and 15 seconds) before we leave the country so he can perform better in the competition,” Maerina said.
Maerina noted they still have to work on Nievarez’s rating, or the number of strokes rowed in a minute, since he observed the rower’s tendency to panic resulting in short strokes despite a higher rating.
“I told him to be more fluid in his recovery and exert more power in his drive. It is better that he performs full strokes with full drive,” the coach said.
Maerina added he also looked into the coordination of Nieverez’s legs to further boost his performance in the quadrennial competition.
With these few aspects to work before they leave the country on July 17, Maerina believes Nievarez is ready to compete with the world’s best rowers in the Tokyo Olympics.
“He’s on the right track. We always intensify his training so that he can perform well in the Olympics. I can see all his hardwork, especially in his improved times, because of his desire to win,” Maerina said.
Nievarez will be the first Filipino athlete to see action in the Tokyo Olympics as the heat rounds of the men’s single sculls event will kick off on the morning of July 23 at the Tokyo Sea Forest Waterway.
