Despite podium being out of reach, Nievarez rows way to Finals D of men's single sculls

MANILA, Philippines — Although no longer vying for a medal, rower Cris Nievarez hopes to raise the bar for Philippine rowing as he proceeds to the men's single sculls Finals D to determine his final ranking.

Nievarez finished fifth in his semifinals group with a time of 7:26.05.

As the rowing category moved to its finals event, the 2019 Southeast Asian games gold medalist could end his first Olympic appearance between the 19th and 24th spots.

Nievarez finished his first heat at 7:22.97. In the quarterfinals, he clocked in at 7:50.74.

The final race to determine his overall ranking is scheduled on July 30 at 7:35 a.m.

The 21-year-old Nievarez is the first Pinoy rower to advance to the quarterfinal as previous bets Benjamin Tolentino in 2000 and Nievarez' own coach Ed Maerina in 1988 failed to move forward in their respective competitions. Maerina finished 22nd overall while Tolentino ended up 18th.