Latin Americans go after Olympic spots

The official opening was attended by FISA Council Member Mike Williams, FISA Continental Representative for South America Eduardo Palomo and the mayor of Tigre, Sergio Massa. All of the 16 participating countries were present at the ceremony including Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Argentina. A total of 38 boats will be attempting to take one of the 17 qualifying spots: six in the men’s single sculls, five in the women’s single sculls, three in the lightweight men’s double sculls and three in the lightweight women’s double sculls.

Thanks were given to the organising committee which is under the guidance of two-time Olympian and Argentina’s most successful female rower, Maria Julia Garisoain. A group of more than 100 volunteers have been recruited to help with the smooth running of the regatta.

The largest teams of athletes come from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico with these nations aiming to qualify in all four qualification events. Crews from Argentina are the favourites to qualify the most number of boats, but Brazil has also boated some strong crews.

Brazil’s Anderson Nocetti will be aiming for his fourth Olympic Games in the men’s single, but he will be up against Patrick Loliger of Mexico who was the silver medallist at last year’s Pan Am Games.

World Champion in the lightweight women’s single sculls, Fabiana Beltrame of Brazil, has moved into the lightweight double with Luana Bartholo De Assis and they will be up against the Pan Am Games winners from Mexico, Lila Perez Rul and Analicia Ramirez. There is also a superb masters athlete, Liliana Boruchowicz, 48, who is the sole representative of Costa Rica. Boruchowicz will be competing in the women’s single.

To get the latest results please check out World Rowing’s Facebook page.

On Monday, results will also be posted on the World Rowing website’s result page, under “Other Results” here and also on the 2012 Latin American Qualification Regatta web page here

Day Schedule – Friday March 23rd.

Latin American Qualification Regatta Programme

Update: Results are in – Latin American Olympic Qualification Regatta Results – Day 1

.Copy thanks to Santiago Fuentes