Catherine set to win call-up for SEA Games<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Catherine Surya appears certain to be called
\nupon to don the national colors at the upcoming Southeast Asian
\nGames in Chiang Mai, Thailand.<\/p>\n
An official of the Indonesian Swimming Association
\nsecretariat, Dedeng Kurnia, said yesterday that Catherine was
\namong favorite nominees of the national swimming squad, after her
\nresounding performance during a national selection here over the
\nweekend.<\/p>\n
\"We are pinning our hopes on her in at least the 200-meter
\nbutterfly and the 400-meter freestyle during the Games,\" Dedeng
\nsaid. Catherine, making her first appearance after serving an 18-
\nmonth ban for drug use, beat the time limits as well as national
\nbest swimmers in the two races on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Dedeng said that the national swimming federation had expunged
\nthe bitter memory of the incident which resulted in Catherine's
\nbanning and is now hoping she will bolster Indonesia's title
\ndefense campaign in the December Games.<\/p>\n
Catherine splashed to seven golds and two silvers in her
\nrecord-shattering first appearance at the 1993 National Games. A
\ndrug crackdown a few months later found a trace of the anabolic
\nsteroid nandrolone in her urine. At 13 years of age, Catherine
\nbecame the youngest Indonesian athlete ever to serve a ban.<\/p>\n
An Australian laboratory issued a drug-free certificate for
\nthe teenager in August, while she was on a three-month stint
\nthere.<\/p>\n
Along with Catherine, regular backbones, such as Elsa Manora
\nNasution, Meitri Widya Pangestika, Olga Halim, Richard Sam Bera,
\nWisnu Wardhana and Sutanto, twin of Albert and Felix, also look
\ncertain to represent Indonesia in Chiang Mai.<\/p>\n
Dedeng said the association will select between 16 and 20 male
\nand female swimmers from 28 trainees now being groomed at the
\nSenayan swimming pool. \"We will hand the line-up of the team to
\nthe National Sports Council by Oct. 15,\" Dedeng said.<\/p>\n
The SEA Games swimming competition will provide 38 gold
\nmedals, the second largest gold mine after track and field, but
\nIndonesia has set itself only a modest target.<\/p>\n
\"At least, we will manage to retain the six gold medals we
\ntook at the previous meet in Singapore,\" said Dedeng.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, earlier on Wednesday, national swimmer Vidi Lukman
\nKorompis died after a year's struggle with cancer of the throat.
\nThe 22-year-old native of Bandung, West Java, skipped his
\nAmerican stint prior to the 12th Asian Games last year to undergo
\nmedical treatment.<\/p>\n
Vidi was the second national athlete to die in the past four
\ndays, after equestrian Andy Junaidi, also of Bandung, was killed
\nwhile practicing on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Vidi, who never missed international events under Indonesia's
\nbanner, set the national 200m butterfly record of 2:04.70 at the
\n1993 National Games. (amd)<\/p>",
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