Coach regrets lifter Indriyani's injury
JAKARTA (JP): National weightlifting coach Imron Rosadi expressed disappointment on Wednesday with Sri Indriyani's injury, which likely will prevent her from competing in the 2000 Olympics Games in Sydney.
While accompanying Indriyani, nicknamed Indri, to the National Sports Council (KONI) sports science commission, Imron said he would not force the lifter to continue training because it could destroy her career.
Indri injured her right knee while attempting to lift 110 kilograms earlier this month. Indri, who competes in the 48- kilogram division, was training for the Olympics.
"She unexpectedly injured herself. I have been training her and other weightlifters to become champions. I don't have any intention to hurt them," Imron said, adding that Indri lifted 110 kilograms every day as part of her training.
"If Indri forces herself to train (now), it can end her career. She can do light stretching, but it's more important to guard her future," he said.
Imron said that during her Olympic training in Lampung, Indri had approached world-record lifts.
"She could lift 90 kg in the snatch, or six kilograms better than the world record of 84 kg. She also lifted 115 kg in the clean and 120 kg in the standard jerk. In the clean and jerk, Indri could lift 112.5 kg. She was close to the world record of 113 kg," he said.
Imron also said Indri managed a total lift of 200 kg in October and on Feb. 18, adding that the world record was 192.5 kg.
Imron said another weightlifter, Winarni, who competes in the 53-kg division, had recovered from typhoid and had begun training.
Winarni can lift 117.5 kg in the clean and jerk and would likely have equaled the world record of 121 kg before getting typhoid. In the snatch, Winarni's lift equals the world record of 97.5 kg, according to Imron.
"After lifting in the snatch, she got typhoid that night. I'm only human, I can't make any mathematical estimations about Winarni's chances in the Olympics. We are faced with health problems here," he said. "After all, this is bad luck. This is a tough challenge for me."
Indonesia's female weightlifters earned three tickets to the Olympics after finishing eighth at the World Weightlifting Championship in Athens last year, with one gold and four silver medals. The Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association is training four female weightlifters for the Games.
Lisa Rumbewas, who competes in the 48 kg division, is training in South Kalimantan and Supeni (53kg) trains in Ragunan, South Jakarta.
Indri said she would undergo physiotherapy to recover from her injury.
"When I was lifting, I bent my knee. The first time it happened it didn't hurt. A few days latter it happened again. I went to see the doctor for medical treatment, but in a training session last week it hurt me, so I came to Jakarta for better treatment," she said.
Indri was optimistic she would be able to compete in the Olympics.
KONI official in charge of sports science Carmen Jahya refused to discuss Indri's injury, saying the lifter would be treated at Pertamina General Hospital here.
"After treatment, she will need about two to four weeks to recover. It's still a long time before she competes in the Olympics, so she still has enough time to train," she said. (ivy)