Uganda’s historic female rower Grace Kathleen Noble took part in her second regatta at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan, Saturday, 24th July 2021 on Sea Forest Waterway.
Kathleen returned a far much slower time of 8:36:01 in the progression race of the Repechage 3 during the single scull competition.
She finished third in the five-woman race, falling short of the quarterfinal slot in the ranked category but good enough to qualify for the E/F semifinals.
“I recorded a slower timing but every race comes with its own demands and expectations. I am happy to continue exploiting the opportunity and I look forward to the E/F semifinals tomorrow,” she disclosed to Kawowo Sports.
In the first race on Friday during heat three, Kathleen had recorded a timing of 8:21:85 (national record) to finish fifth.
Repechage 3 was won by 24-year-old Milena Venega Cancio from Cuba who posted a timing of 8:17:30.
Hung Wing Yan Winnee from Hong Kong was second in the race with a time of 8:23:58.
That said, Venega and Hung qualified for the quarterfinal that will be held Sunday morning.
Kathleen, Togo’s Claire Akossiwa Ayivon (9:04:23) and Sudan’s Esraa Khogali (10:25:94) completed the top five positions.
Meanwhile, Felice Chow of Trinidad and Tobago and Jeong Hyejeong of South Korea finished first and second with times of 8:15.94 and 8:26.73 respectively to progress to the quarterfinals during the first repechage.
Nigerian Esther Toko came in fourth with a time of 9:07:54 and bowed out.
During the second repechage, Paraguay’s Alejandra Alonso came first in a time of 8:08.91, followed by Taipei’s Huang Yi-Ting of Chinese Taipei, who rowed in second to also advance to the quarter-final.
Sunday morning will present the quarterfinals across all categories as well as the E/F semi-finals.
Besides the single scull, the crews are also competing in the double scull event, coxless pair, double sculls, Lwt double sculls, coxless four, quadruple sculls, and the eight.
During the 2020 Summer Olympics, there was a world record set in the male’s double sculls when Dutchmen Melvin Twellar and Stef Broenink rowed to victory with a timing of 6:08:38 during the heats round.