S’pore rower Saiyidah Aisyah unfazed by ‘scary winds’ in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO — Team Singapore rower Saiyidah Aisyah Mohd Rafa’ee will have to wait a little longer for a shot at the women’s single sculls semi-final C/D, after Rio Games organisers were forced to cancel the day’s rowing events at the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas due to rain and strong winds.

This is the second time they have been forced to abandon the day’s races, after windy conditions also caused a postponement on Sunday. The tough weather conditions have wreaked havoc at the rowing venue since opening day on Saturday, which saw Serbian athletes Milos Vasic and Nenad Bedik capsize in the lagoon.

A total of 26 races — including two finals (men’s and women’s quadruple sculls) — had to be rescheduled, and Singaporean rower Aisyah will now compete in the semi-final two days later on Aug 12.

Despite the schedule chaos, Aisyah is staying focused on her task here in Rio. The 28-year-old, who finished sixth in the quarter-final earlier this week, is competing for places 13th to 24th in the C/D semi-final, as she told TODAY: “I’m okay with the changes, we have to be adaptable and not get worked up. The organisers have our safety in their best interests and are doing all they can, especially when the problem is beyond their control.

“It hasn’t disrupted my training in any way, as I will still row unless the course is shut. In fact, I love training in difficult conditions, as it makes things interesting. I hope to qualify for the top three and be in the C final. Anything can happen and, more importantly, I have to give it my best shot in the race.”

A gold medallist at the 2013 SEA Games, Aisyah had already made history in Singapore ahead of the Aug 5 to 21 Olympic Games by becoming the first rower to qualify for the quadrennial event. The national rower, who took to crowdfunding to chase her Olympic dream, is relishing her time here in Rio, as she added: “It has been an amazing experience. I’ve learnt a lot, not only about my performance but also how to adapt to changes and embrace them instead of allowing them to affect me negatively. One example is the scary winds I had to battle during our heats and the postponement of races.

“My aim coming to Rio was to be in the top 24, which I already am. But this doesn’t give me a reason to slack off or be complacent because I want to take every opportunity to improve, better myself, and even surprise myself with what I am able to achieve.” LOW LIN FHOONG