Lechuga and Ferreira - Confronting qualification in the year of the Tokyo Olympics

Two young talents, Kenia Lechuga Alanis of Mexico and Lucas Ferreira of Brazil, secured their all-important tickets to the Olympic Games after winning at the 2021 Americas Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta earlier this month.

Though young in age, their valuable rowing experience has paid off to take qualifications spots – Lechuga Alanis in the women’s single sculls and Ferreira in the men’s single sculls.

Lechuga Alanis made a name for herself internationally when she shocked the world by beating Kim Brennan (nee Crow) in the heat of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio in the single. The wind and water conditions were tough and Lechuga Alanis, used to rowing in difficult conditions, seemed to float above the waves. She glided effortlessly through the finish line to secure her spot in the quarterfinal.

Being back in Rio for the qualification regatta had particular significance for Lechuga Alanis. “It is so special for me,” she says. “This rowing course gave me one of the best moments of my life, it is one of my favourites. I feel the connection to it and enjoy it a lot.” She laughs adding, “I think we are good friends.”

Lechuga Alanis started rowing when she was 13. “Where I’m from we have a beautiful place to row called ‘la presca de la Boca’ in Santiago, Nuevo Leon, Mexio. The club president visited the school and invited us to try. At first, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to, but eventually I fell in love with this sport,” she says.

Love for the sport has carried Lechuga Alanis all the way to the Olympics. She has been working her way up the ranks, even grabbing a podium finish in the lightweight women’s single sculls at the 2019 World Rowing Cup I.

But Lechuga Alanis admits that the experience of racing during the Covid-19 pandemic can be strange.

“At the start it was weird because we had different schedules every day to train, eat, the bus because they divided us into groups. But at the end it was very comfortable. The only bad thing was that we had very few days to adapt to Brazil because we were only allowed to arrive four days before (the regatta),” she says.

Adapting to the coronavirus measures will be an advantage going into the 2021 season. Lechuga Alanis says that she hopes to be able to race at a World Cup, to ‘get some action’ before the Olympic Games. In the meantime, she will be pushing forward on her own.

“The only way is stay focused and always get out of my comfort zone. I like to try new things that help me be faster,” says Lechuga Alanis.

Lechuga Alanis was not the only young star to claim the top spot at the Americas Qualification Regatta. Lucas Ferreira of Brazil crossed the line first on his home course.

“It was a really solid race, with a lot of resilience from me,” Ferreira says. “I tried to go out in the first part of the race because I knew that in the last 500 meters, I needed to defend myself from attacks from the other competitors.”

For Ferreira, the Rio course also has special significance. It is where he learned to row, it’s his hometown and now, it has become his ticket to representing Brazil at the Olympic Games. So, what is Ferreira’s secret to success?

“I love what I do, for normal people it’s not easy to wake up so early every day, spending eight hours a day, seven days a week training in a very hot place like Rio. It’s a life without parties, living without my friends, but an unprecedented result like this one is worth fighting for. I feel honoured and proud,” he says.

Ferreira has been working his way up the ranks. He managed a sixth-place finish at the 2018 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.

After competing at the South American Championships, Ferreira is starting to look toward the upcoming season.

“I believe in the process… dreaming of, working at, and trying to do what no one else has done before. At the moment my goals are improving my personal best time and looking forward to the Olympic Games in Tokyo and Paris at least,” he says.

Before signing off Ferreira points to one more thing. “I would like to thank all the support from all the people around the world who watched the Olympic Continental Qualification Regatta through the World Rowing social media. I think that is important for the South American rowers to gain some international visibility.”

Olympic and Paralympic qualification now moves on to the European Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta which runs from 5-7 April 2021 in Varese, Italy.

For more information about the Americas Qualification Regatta, click here: https://worldrowing.com/event/2021-world-rowing-americas-olympic-and-paralympic-qualification-regatta

For the updated Olympic Qualification document, click here: https://worldrowing.com/event/2020-olympic-games-regatta