Vanuatu’s rowing champ, Rillio Rii will be the first athlete to kick start the country's participation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Rii will be racing against five other crews on the Rowing Men's Single Sculls, Heat 2 at the Sea Forest Waterway, Tokyo on Saturday.
The other competing rowing crews are from New Zealand, Greece, Dominican Republic, Monaca and Peru.
"Lane 4 it is, for Mr Rii".
This will be a tough first rowing race for Rii at the Olympic
He is the first Vanuatu athlete to bring home ‘a Gold’- remaining the Commonwealth Men’s Single Scull Beach Rowing Sprint Champion in a Commonwealth Federation Event, 2018.
He has also recorded the fourth fastest time at the World Rowing Beach Sprints Finals in Shenzhen China.
Rii is also celebrating moments of honor- being the first rower to be the Flag Bearer for Team Vanuatu for the Tokyo2020 Olympics.
Vanuatu has high hopes for Rii this time for an Olympics record.
Photo source VASANOC