TT rower Felice Aisha Chow booked her spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with a solid showing at the Continental Qualification Regatta in Rio, Brazil, on Friday.
After qualifying for the women's singles scull, Chow said, "I am so happy that I get the chance to represent TT one more time on the Olympic stage."
Chow competed at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
Reflecting on the past year, she said, "This last year has been incredibly difficult and challenging for many reasons with the pandemic. This regatta was no different with the organisers making a lot of last minute changes to the schedule and adaptations and that was really hard on all the athletes, but it was definitely another challenge to get through."
In the heats, Chow said she had a rough outing as she had to get rid of rust after last competing at an official regatta in 2019.
In the final which included six racers, Chow had to finish in the top five to earn a spot at the Olympics. Chow finished third in eight minutes and 13.91 seconds (08:13.91). Winning the final was Mexican Kenia Lechuga in 08:04.62 and Alejandra Alonso of Paraguay was second in 08:09.82. Chow added, "I am super excited about this."
President of the TT Olympic Committee Brian Lewis said, "Congratulations go out to Felice Aisha Chow. It is an incredible effort given all the circumstances including the covid19 pandemic. For her to accept the challenge and be determined in travelling to the qualifiers in Rio de Janiero and qualifying for Tokyo 2020 is an incredible achievement and a credit to her indomitable will and unwavering commitment and dedication to achieving her goals."