Richard aims to finish third in Pusan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Veteran Indonesian swimmer Richard Sam Bera is
\naiming to finish third in both the individual and team events at
\nthe Asian Championships in Pusan, South Korea, later this month.<\/p>\n
Richard told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the
\nchampionships would not serve as a preparation for the Olympic
\nGames in Sydney in September, but rather his goal would be to
\nfulfill the Indonesian Swimming Federation (PRSI) target of
\nreaching the top five in individual events.<\/p>\n
\"I think it's in accordance with PRSI's target of top 5 in
\nindividual events. While for the relay team, it will be an uphill
\nbattle. We are capable of finishing in the top three but looking
\nat how things stand now, it will be a daunting task,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"This is not a tryout anymore but this will be the target. I'm
\ncarrying with me the momentum that I have already established
\nduring my preparations for World Cup Short-Course events. Since
\nthe Asian Championships will be held in a long-course set up, I
\nimmediately switched my training to a long-course pool right
\nafter the World Championships.\"<\/p>\n
Richard achieved a personal best in his favorite discipline,
\nthe 100 meters freestyle, of 50.30 seconds in the World Cup
\nShort-Course meet in Berlin. The time was 0.73 seconds faster
\nthan the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games record made by the 29-year-
\nold Indonesian in Brunei Darussalam last year.<\/p>\n
PRSI will send male swimmers Richard, Wisnu Wardhana, twins
\nFelix and Albert Christiadi Sutanto and Akbar Nasution and
\nfemales Elsa Manora Nasution and Siripiya Sutanto to the
\nchampionships from March 29 to April 2.<\/p>\n
All swimmers have qualified for the Olympics for the time
\nlimit B.<\/p>\n
The federation will also send divers Shenny Ratna Amelia
\n(women's platform), Eka Purnama Indah (women's springboard),
\nMuhammad Nasrullah (men's platform) and Sukran Jamjami (men's
\nspringboard).<\/p>\n
Lenny Puspita and Tyas Titisari will compete in the
\nsynchronized swimming at the championships as a part of the 2001
\nSEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
PRSI has reminded its swimmers to finish in the top five in
\ntheir respective individual disciplines and in the top three in
\nteam events.<\/p>\n
\"I think the criteria set out by PRSI are reasonable enough.
\nWe don't have to be the Asian champions to win Olympics tickets,
\nbut we must fulfill the targets,\" Richard said.<\/p>\n
PRSI's head of swimming technical commission, Gerald HP Item,
\nhoped on Monday the federation would still send those athletes to
\nthe Olympics despite their results in the championships.<\/p>\n
\"This is the first time Indonesia has qualified five swimmers
\nto the Olympics. Previously our athletes could only compete by
\nusing wild cards,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"They may only have a slight chance of winning an Olympics
\nmedal but at least their juniors can follow their steps and do
\nbetter in the future.\"<\/p>\n
Sharing the same idea, Richard, also a deputy of the swimming
\ntechnical commission, said swimming was one of other sports which
\nwere too afraid to send juniors to compete in international
\nevents.<\/p>\n
\"We need not be afraid of sending our second team out to big
\nevents such as world championships and let them learn from the
\nexperience. That's how they will develop. Right now we are too
\nafraid to send them, partly because of lack of funds and also due
\nto an impatient feeling to see good results.\" (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/richard-aims-to-finish-third-in-pusan-1447893297",
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