NAGOYA, Japan — Philippine rower Joanie Delgaco was left emotional after falling short of the podium in the women’s single sculls final at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, but the Paris Olympian is already looking ahead to another chance at the Olympic qualification stage.
Delgaco finished sixth in the six-woman final at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course on Thursday, clocking 8:01.63. China’s Zhang Xinyu won gold in 7:21.53, followed by Uzbekistan’s Anna Prakaten with silver and Iran’s Fatemeh Mojallal Topraghhale with bronze.
Despite missing the medal podium, Delgaco said she was grateful to have completed the race and had no regrets about her effort.
The result was particularly emotional because of the preparation behind her Asian Games campaign. Delgaco underwent initial training in the Philippines before spending two and a half months at a training camp in Germany, where she focused on preparing for the continental competition.
After the race, Delgaco acknowledged that she became emotional because she knew how much work had gone into reaching the Asian Games, yet the performance still fell short of what she had hoped to deliver.
She also credited her family, especially her parents and siblings, for providing the encouragement she needed throughout her career.
The sixth-place finish closed the Philippine rowing team’s campaign in the women’s single sculls, but Delgaco does not intend to let the setback define her next chapter.
The two-time SEA Games gold medalist and Paris Olympian is now setting her sights on next year’s Olympic qualification campaign. She said the Asian Games experience has become motivation to return stronger and pursue another opportunity to represent the Philippines at the Olympics.
For Delgaco, the Asian Games may have ended without a medal, but the disappointment has given her another target to chase — and another reason to keep rowing toward the Olympic dream.
