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.