Al-Asmari sets new record on first day of Asian meet

JAKARTA (JP): Clocking eight minutes, 24.08 seconds, Saad Shadad Al-Asmari Mozazae of Saudi Arabia yesterday broke his own 3,000-meter steeplechase record on the first day of the 11th Asian Athletic Championships at the Senayan Madya stadium.

His previous championship record was 8:32.08, which he set two years ago.

"It's an easy race," the 27-year-old navy sergeant commented. He added he did not have to force himself since his competitors here were relatively slow.

Al-Asmari attributed his easy win to his daily stints in his hometown in Abha, the southern mountainous region of Saudi Arabia with an altitude of around 2,000 m, coupled with the tough military life.

"I have too many races this year," said the bachelor, who turned from volleyball to athletics in 1989. He added that he wanted to take a month's rest after this meet.

Up to this championship, Al-Asmari has 21 races behind him with awesome performances this year. In the world championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, which concluded on Aug. 8, he clocked 8:12, shattering the Asian mark of 8:15.95 he set in Monaco last year, and won the bronze medal.

In the Golden Four athletic meet in Zurich, Switzerland, he recorded his best time of 8.09.67 on Aug. 16 -- another new Asian record. This means he rewrote his own Asian record within a time span of about one week.

Most recently, in the Mediterranean Olympics in Rome one week ago, he finished 8.29 in the semifinal and clocked 8.14 in the final, not only to win the gold medal but also to beat Christopher Koskie of Kenya, silver medalist at the Gothenburg meet.

For Saad Bilal of Qatar, who threw 18.87m to win the first gold medal on the first day of the 11th Asian Athletic Champion ship, the victory came as expected.

But not the throw.

"I expect gold medal in this championship rather than in the recent world championship (in Gothenburg, Sweden, which was concluded last month)," the 183cm shot putter said in joy before knowing of his less impressive victory through an Arabian inter preter.

"You cannot compare the world championship to the Asian championship. For me, the Asian championship is the first step to climb to the world championship," said the Qatari soldier who failed to shine in Gothenburg.

The father of one-year son, who trains under Uzbekistan coach Klamenko, has his eyes set on the Olympic Games in Atlanta next year.

Was his failure to throw more than 19m might yesterday caused by Jakarta's high humidity? The 109kg athlete refused to comment. "Please leave me alone, I don't want to say anything," the 23- year-old Qatari unexpectedly said in English. (arf)