Indonesia dominates downhill cycling events at SEAG

Indonesia dominates downhill cycling events at SEAG

By Novan Iman Santosa

KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Indonesia confirmed its top-rank status in
cycling at the 21st Southeast Asian Games after winning both
downhill mountain bike medals at the Rubber Research Institute in
Sungai Buloh, some 45 kilometers north of here on Friday.

Sugianto Setiawan won the gold for Indonesia in the men's
1.5km downhill and Risa Suseanty in the women's 1.5km downhill
events.

The 23-year-old Sugianto clocked the fastest time of 3 minutes
10.20 seconds to upstage his major rival, the Thai couple of
Sitichai Gatekaewmanee and Nutawut Patihan, who finished second
and third respectively.

Sitichai, who recorded the fastest time in the seeding run on
Thursday, clocked a time of 3:11.65 for the silver and Nutawut
clocking 3:21.51 for the bronze.

"Yesterday I had the second fastest time in the seeding run
behind Sitichai and I believed I could beat him," Sugianto told
reporters after his victory.

"To win gold would give me the confidence I need for the Asian
Mountain Bike championship in Korea next month," added Sugianto,
who lost to Thailand's Chakrit Rungsuwan in the 1999 Brunei Games
winning the silver in the downhill event.

Host riders, Asriyadi Mohd. Bali and Ian Chin Eh Yoon managed
to only finish fourth and sixth, clocked times of 3:22.53 and
3:23.40 respectively. It was a slight improvement for Asriyadi,
who came fifth in the 1999 Games.

Risa completed Indonesia's winning run in the mountain bike
when she bagged her third consecutive gold of the Games.

The 20-year-old Bandung female cyclist clocked the fastest
time of 3:50.59 ahead of Thailand's Kanittha Pratom and Phan Thi
Thuy Trang of Vietnam, who recorded 3:52.36 and 3:58.38
respectively.

"I could have come in faster if I had not lost my balance in
the third bump where I jumped too high. It cost me some time
becuase I needed to keep my stability," Risa told reporters. "I
would have lost 30 seconds if I had of fallen."

Risa said she had expected strong opposition from the
Vietnamese rider but it turned out to be Kanittha who offered the
real threat.

"I'm really pleased to defend my title in the downhill event.
But before the start, I felt the pressure was on me as I was
going for a third medal."

Risa won her first gold medal in the downhill event at home in
the 1997 SEA Games and defended it at the Bandar Seri Begawan
Games two years later.

"After the Games, I will compete in the Asian Mountain Bike
championship and my target is to finish somewhere in the top
positions," said Risa who has one the bronze twice in the Asian
Mountain Bike meet in 1997 and 1999.

She now is seeking another accolade in the cross country event
on Saturday.

"I've always been unlucky in cross country. I was stuck in bed
in 1997 and could not finish in 1999 when my bicycle broke
following a collision with a Vietnamese rider," she recollected.

"I am looking forward to winning my first gold medal in the
cross country event tomorrow. It will be great if I can deliver a
double this year."

The Indonesian team has so far collected 11 gold medals, one
gold shy of its target with four more events to go on Saturday.

The four events are both men's and women's cross country and
open road race events, in which Indonesia excels.