Mardi Lestari proves he's still the best<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Mardi Lestari lived up to his billing as
\nIndonesia's best sprinter when he dashed to the men's 100m
\nvictory in the Indonesia Open Track and Field Championships at
\nMadya Senayan stadium yesterday.<\/p>\n
Though Mardi's mark of 10.48 seconds was good enough to win
\nyesterday, the time was far off his national record mark of 10.20
\nat the 1989 National Games in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Yet Mardi's time is good enough for the upcoming Asian Track
\nand Field Championships,\" noted Pieter Noya, who is preparing
\nIndonesia's track and field team for the Dec. 9-17 Southeast
\nAsian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Noya is also in charge of
\nthe national squad's preparations for the Asia championships
\nslated here for Sept. 20 to 24.<\/p>\n
Mardi's national 4X100m relay teammate Erwin Heru Susanto came
\nsecond with 10.59, followed by Agus Ngamel who set 10.66. Another
\nnational relay team member Khodik Juntasi finished only fourth
\nwith 10.78.<\/p>\n
\"The time I set is enough. The most important thing is that I
\nwas always in the forefront,\" Mardi told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"It was an easy win,\" said Mardi, who is planning to get
\nmarried in October.<\/p>\n
But Noya added that Mardi ran badly. \"He looked back several
\ntimes. He did not need to do that while running at such a high
\nspeed,\" Noya said.<\/p>\n
Sri Lankan athletes stole the show yesterday. Women's long
\njumper Anusha Kariyawasam leapt 5.82m to beat SEA Games Rabaiya
\nof South Sulawesi. Rabaiya managed only 5.79m, leaving her
\nnational record of 6.22m safe.<\/p>\n
Another Sri Lankan, Thamara Saman Deepika won the women's 100m
\nin yesterday's final in 11.77. She was 0.20 seconds ahead of
\nNitje Durand of North Sulawesi. Rabaiya, who also competed in the
\nevent, finished third with 12.17.<\/p>\n
Sri Lanka also excelled at the men's 400m hurdles. Mahesh
\nParera, who gave Sri Lanka its first gold with his 110m hurdles
\nvictory on Thursday, clocked 53.18 seconds to beat Herman Mandagi
\nof North Sulawesi and national record holder Herman Balagaise of
\nIrian Jaya. Balagaise recorded his best time of 51.57 in the 1993
\nSEA Games in Singapore.<\/p>\n
Sri Lanka's coach, Lt. Cdr. Shemal Fernando, told the Post
\nthat he is using the open tournament to improve the performance
\nof his athletes for December's South Asian Federation Games in
\nIndia. (arf)<\/p>",
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