E. Java, Irian Jaya shine in national athletics meet

JAKARTA (JP): East Java and Irian Jaya vied for supremacy in the medal standings on the second day of the National Track and Field Championships, which is also serving as a qualifying round for the 15th National Games (PON).

East Java, which will host PON next year, tops the standings with five golds, four silvers and three bronzes, while Irian Jaya is close on its heels with five golds, three silvers and five bronzes.

Central Java is in third position in the standings with two golds, five silvers and three bronzes. Host Jakarta managed two golds on Saturday, moving it into fourth place in the medal standings. It has also bagged four silvers and two bronzes.

No national records were set during Saturday's action at the championships, which is the last national track and field event of the year.

Winning gold for East Java on Saturday were M. Rusli, who clocked 14.67 seconds in the men's 110 meter high hurdles; Alex Resmol with a 1:52.81 in the men's 800m; Ester Sumah with a time of 2:06.75 in the women's 800m; and the men's 4x100m relay team with a time of 40.70.

Ester is currently taking part in the long-term centralized training program for middle and long-distance runners at the Pengalengan tea plantation in West Java.

East Java's 4x100m women's relay team of Lia Citra, Endang Kusmiati, Lina Febriasari and Sulis Yuliana contributed a silver, clocking a time of 47.62. Also earning silver for the province were M. Shodik with a 1:54.09 in the men's 800m and M. Asyik, who finished the men's 110m high hurdles in a time of 15.27.

Irian Jaya earned its only gold on the day from men's discus thrower Ismail Sroyer, with a heave of 46.72m. Teammate Timotius S. Ndiken earned bronze in the same event with a throw of 37.27m.

The country's easternmost province nabbed a silver medal in the men's 4x100m relay with a time of 41.19.

Turiman Sungeb of Jakarta won the first gold of the day in the 20-kilometer racewalk. Sungeb clocked a time of 1:39:06, followed by Ede Sopandi of West Java with a 1:42:05 and Haryanto of Central Java with a time of 1:43:03.

Men's long jumper Wisnu Nugroho contributed the second gold of the day for Jakarta with a jump of 7.35m. He was followed by two West Java athletes: Yousan Lekahena and Windarji with jumps of 7.35m and 7.23m respectively.

National pole vaulter Nunung Jayadi only managed a silver for Jakarta with a vault of 4.90m, matching the height of gold medalist Hendiarsin Ozlan of Central Kalimantan.

Both failed to reach the national record of 5.05m, which was set by Nunung at the 1999 Southeast Asian Games in Brunei Darussalam in August. (ivy)