Nievarez returns to action

Already out of the medal race, rower Cris Nievarez will try to make the most of his first Olympic stint when he competes in the semifinal C/D on Thursday at the Sea Forest Waterway in Japan.

National coach Edgardo Maerina said he makes it a point to rest Nievarez every afternoon to ensure he doesn’t get injured during his final heats in the Olympics.

Nievarez, who became the first Filipino rower to reach the quarterfinals of the Summer Games, was relegated to the classification races after being knocked out in the quarterfinals, clocking in seven minutes and 50.74 seconds

“Cris is really taking care of himself, that’s why we train only in the mornings. We don’t want to risk any injuries,” said Maerina, a former Olympian in the 1988 Seoul Games.

“The intensity of the load we give to him is just right so that his muscles can rest so that he moves better tomorrow (Thursday).”

We don’t want to risk any injuries.

Maerina said they need to keep an eye on Alvaro Torres Masias of Peru, Dara Alizadeh of Bermuda, and Quentin Antognelli of Monaco in their bid to finish in the top three.

It will not be easy for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist as Masias Torres clocked in seven minutes and 31.85 seconds in the quarterfinals while Alizadeh tallied seven minutes and 35.73 seconds in the quarterfinals.

Antognelli, meanwhile, tallied seven minutes and 29.99 seconds in his quarterfinal heat.

“I think we can choose from Monaco (Antognelli) and Bermuda (Alizadeh) on who we will overtake for the top three in the heats. Our strategy against Peru (Torres Masias) since he beside him in the competition, is to keep pace until one of them gives out,” Maerina said.

“Our target is to beat Bermuda.”

The competition will start at 11:40 a.m. (10:40 a.m. Manila time).