Paraguay Joins and Cuba Dominates ? Latin America Olympic Qualification

Uruguay’s lightweight men’s double qualify
© Sebastian Tula

Paraguay qualified their first rowers ever for the Olympic Games, Peru broke a 20 year hiatus and Cuba won all but one event at last weekend’s FISA Olympic Continental Qualification Regatta for Latin America in El Salvador.

Cuba dominated three of the four finals placing first in all but the women’s single. This race went to Mexico’s Martha Garcia who took line honours by clear water.

Garcia, at 39 years old, began rowing in 1984 but retired from the sport in 1992 after competing at the Barcelona Olympics. She then took up mountain biking and multisports as well as focusing on her family life. In 2003 Garcia returned to rowing ?just for fun? but was encouraged by her coach Nikolay Chuprina to continue on to the Olympic qualification level. On the way there Garcia left the World Indoor Rowing Championships in February with a gold medal in her age group. She will now join the Mexican Olympic Team as the oldest woman. 

Garcia’s main competition, Soraya Jadue of Chile also qualified by finishing second but admitted going into the qualification regatta knowing nothing about Garcia. This will be Jadue’s second Olympic Games.

Paraguay’s first Olympic rower qualified by finishing fourth in the same event. At 16 years old Rocio Soledas Rivarola Trappe is the youngest qualifier and will share the honour of Paraguay’s first with Reynaldo Sosa Bertoni who was the sixth and final qualifier in the men’s single.

The lightweight men’s double saw some of the closest racing on finals day with Cuba’s Armando Arrechavaleta and Yosvel Iglesias finishing on top and on their way to their first Olympic Games. They will be joined by fellow countryman, Yuleidsy Cascaret who easily won the men’s single ahead of Olympian Anderson Nocetti of Brazil.

Start of the lightweight women’s double heat
© Sebastian Tula

Cuba also won the lightweight women’s double of Dailin Taset and Ismaray Marrero. This will be Taset’s second Olympic Games with new partner, Marrero. 

In addition athletes qualified for Athens from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and a noteworthy return of Uruguay who last competed in rowing at the Olympic Games 12 years ago.

Latin American countries had the opportunity to qualify for the Athens Olympics through this regatta by finishing in the top six of the men’s single, the top five of the women’s single and the top three of the men’s and women’s double.

The final Olympic qualification regatta will be in Lucerne, Switzerland from June 14 ? 16.

Olympic Qualifiers

Men’s Single
Yuleidsy Cascaret, Cuba
Anderson Nocetti, Brazil
Oscar Vasquez Ochoa, Chile
Gustavo Salcedo, Peru
Leandro Salvagno, Uruguay
Reynaldo Sosa Bertoni, Paraguay

Women’s Single
Martha Garcia, Mexico
Soraya Jadue, Chile
Fabiana Beltrame, Brazil
Rocio Soledad Rivarola Trappe, Paraguay
Analia Marin, Argentina

Lightweight Women’s Double
Dailin Taset, Ismaray Marrero, Cuba
Gabriela Huerta, Aline Olvera, Mexico
Milka Kraljev, Lucia Palermo, Argentina

Lightweight Men’s Double
Arnaldo Arrechavaleta, Yosbel Iglesias, Cuba
Jose Sobral, Thiago Gomes, Brazil
Rodolfo Collazo, Joe Reboledo, Uruguay

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