Desi fails to improve pole vault record

JAKARTA (JP): Women's pole vaulter Ni Putu Desi of West Nusa Tenggara failed to break her own record of 4.00 meters at the first National Athletics Grand Prix held at the Madya Stadium in the Bung Karno Sports Complex on Sunday.

Desi, being groomed for the Kuala Lumpur 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, leapt the 3.75m bar with ease in her first jump before asking for a 3.90m bar. She failed in her first attempt but had no difficulties on the second try.

In her efforts to improve the record, Desi then asked for 4.02-meter bar. Unfortunately, she failed in all three attempts to set the new record.

Desi set the 4.00m record, which became a new national record, on the last day of the national track and field meet on June 20. She also set the old record of 3.90m in Taipei on Feb. 4.

Finishing in second place was Emrina of Jakarta with 3.30m and Alia Basalamah, also from Jakarta, was third with 3.15m.

No records were broken in the one-day Grand Prix despite the fact that the event was attended by all Indonesia's elite track and field athletes.

Women's sprinter Irene Truice Joseph of Maluku, who is also being prepared for the SEA Games, only recorded 11.97 seconds in the 100m dash, or 0.41 seconds slower than her best time of 11.56 seconds which she set in the 1999 Games in Brunei Darussalam.

Supiati of West Nusa Tenggara was second with 12.12 seconds and Deysi Sumigar of North Sulawesi third with 12.27 seconds.

"We're sorry that the athletes failed to break the old records especially those who are being prepared for SEA Games," secretary-general of the Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association (PASI) Tigor Tanjung told reporters on the sidelines of the event.

"Perhaps it's because they is still lack of competitiveness. That's why PASI is staging more competitions. We will hold two more Grand Prix series."

"PASI is concentrating on hold events so as to improve the chances of our athletes taking medals in Kuala Lumpur. The athletes then can use these series as warm-up sessions," he continued.

The first series featured the 200m dash, 800m run, 5,000m walk and pole vault in the men's division. Meanwhile in the women's division there were 100m, 800m, 5,000m, discuss throw, hammer throw and pole vault events.

The second series, to be staged on July 15 at the same venue, will feature men's 100m, 5,000m, pole vault, high jump and triple jump events as well as women's 400m, 1,500m, pole vault and hammer throw events.(nvn)