Filipino rower Cris Nievarez advanced to the quarterfinals in men’s single sculls on Friday, starting off the country’s 2020 Summer Olympics campaign on a positive note.

The top 3 in each heat marched on, and Nievarez did so by placing third at Sea Forest Waterway, Tokyo.

He clocked 7 minutes and 22.97 seconds, behind first-place Damir Martin of Croatia and No. 2 Alexander Vyazovkin of the Russian Federation.

• Rower Cris Nievarez gets Team PH going in Tokyo Games

The quarterfinals are set Monday.

• Filipino Olympian profile: Promising Cris Nievarez is the future of PH rowing

Nievarez, 21, is the first Filipino Olympic rower since Benjamin Tolentino participated in Sydney 2000.

The Philippines is eyeing its first gold medal in the Olympics.

Nievarez’s campaign began before the official opening ceremonies set for Friday afternoon.

Team Philippines is composed of boxers Irish Magno, Eumir Marcial, Carlo Paalam Nesthy Petecio; golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan; swimmers Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule; weightlifters Elreen Ando and Hidilyn Diaz; gymnast Carlos Yulo; judoka Kiyomi Watanabe; pole-vaulter EJ Obiena; shooter Julius Valdez; skateboarder Marigielyn Didal; sprinter Kristina Knott; and taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa.

For breaking news and latest developments on the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, visit https://news.abs-cbn.com/tokyo-olympics