Phoenix 24
A new public river access point transformed the daily preparation of an Argentine athlete who entered the sport as an adult.
BLED, SLOVENIA
Argentine rower Ayelén Loinaz won two gold medals at the 2026 World Rowing Masters Regatta on Slovenia’s Lake Bled. She prevailed in both the coxed four and coxless four categories at an event bringing together more than 4,700 athletes from 51 countries for 981 races across five days.
Her achievement followed an important change in her training routine. Until recently, Loinaz had to drive approximately 90 minutes from her home in Buenos Aires to Dique Luján whenever she needed to practise on the water. The return journey consumed another hour and a half, forcing her to substitute some sessions with indoor training on a rowing ergometer.
The opening of a free public boat ramp in Barracas allowed her to begin training only five minutes from home. Located at the end of Perdriel Street, opposite the former facilities of Club Regatas de Avellaneda, the access point enables rowers to launch small boats directly onto the Riachuelo. The relatively calm water and limited wind are particularly suitable for the single scull, Loinaz’s principal training boat.
Born in Brandsen, Buenos Aires province, Loinaz moved to the Argentine capital to study and work. She qualified as a psychologist and continues practising professionally, while rowing gradually evolved from a recreational activity into a central part of her life. She began at Club Teutonia in Tigre and entered competitive rowing only during adulthood.
Her performances eventually took her beyond Argentina. She represented the country in South American competitions, joined Brazil’s Corinthians for international regattas and participated in the 2025 World Rowing Masters Regatta in Banyoles, Spain. The two victories in Bled now represent the most significant achievement of that progression.
The Riachuelo once occupied an important place in Buenos Aires rowing culture. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several clubs operated along its banks before industrial development and severe pollution pushed much of the sport toward the Paraná Delta. The new public ramp marks a modest recovery of that historical connection.
Loinaz’s medals cannot be attributed to infrastructure alone; they reflect years of discipline, professional sacrifice and international experience. Yet her story demonstrates how a relatively small public investment can remove a major logistical barrier. Access did not create her ability, but it gave that ability more time and space to develop.
Opportunity does not replace effort, but it can finally allow effort to reach its destination.