Indonesia surges ahead in SEA Games
Indonesia surges ahead in SEA Games
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Agencies): Defending champion Indonesia shot to the lead but Thailand was breathing down its necks at the end of the opening day of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Sunday, where three Games swimming records fell.
Indonesia grabbed eight golds, five of them from karate, while Thailand, powered by its swimming stars, pocketed seven golds in a day of drama in the pool and in athletics.
But the star of the day was Singapore's swimming sensation Joscelin Yeo who grabbed two golds in personal best times, setting the pace for her quest for nine golds in the Southeast Asian Games.
Yeo, 20, shattered her own records in the 100 meters freestyle and 200 meters individual medley events, in which she led all the way.
"I am very pleased with my performance, it's a good beginning," said the University of California biology student who has just recovered from an elbow injury.
Yeo clocked an incredible 56.0 seconds in the 100 meters freestyle, breaking her 57.27 seconds in the 1993 games and finished the 200 meters individual medley in 2 minutes 17.17 seconds, shattering her earlier mark of 2:17.48.
The Singaporean has grabbed 19 gold medals while anchoring her country's games challenge for the past eight years.
The century sprint also won the limelight, with Indonesian teenager Irene Josef coming from nowhere to take the women's crown and Reanchai Seeharwong emerging from suspension to stamp his superiority on the men's event.
Josef, a chunky 18-year-old from Ambon, upset two favored Thai rivals while Reanchai flashed the hand sign of "Ultraman", a television cartoon superhero, after breasting the tape ahead of compatriot Vissanu Suphanich, the sprint king in the last SEA Games.
Elma Muros Posadas of the Philippines won her eight straight long jump gold on her sixth and last attempt. She later declared she was reconsidering her earlier decision to retire.
Indonesia, wracked by political and economic crisis, started the Brunei games strongly by picking up all four kata events in karate, led by insurance agent Olga Omita who bowed out of sports after her fifth straight SEA Games win in the event.
Laos won its first SEA Games gold ever when Vilasone Phikhaikham knocked out Vietnam's Trong Sinh Doan in men's welterweight taekwondo. The Laotians did not even manage a silver medal at the last games in 1997.
Honors
On the track, Thailand's Reanchai Seeharwong claimed honors as the region's fastest man by winning the 100 meters in 10.26 seconds, .13 ahead of teammate Vissanu Sophanich. Malaysia's Watson Nyambek took the bronze in 10.45.
Thailand's Jirasak Suthichat took the lead two-thirds through the race and won the 3,000-meter steeplechase by more than six seconds over the Philippines' Eduardo Beunavista, finishing in 9:03.96.
Thais Krasaeyan Juthaporn and Taweedech Kruawan finished 1-2 in the women's shot put, and Singapore's James Wong won the men's discus with a throw of 59.5 meters, more than 9 meters better than Thailand's Sawusdee Wunsawang.
Indonesia's Supriati Sutono had little competition to worry her in the women's 5,000 meters. Thailand's Viraiwan Kumpitak was the only other entrant, and Supriati beat her by more than 42 seconds with a time of 17 minutes, 12.98 seconds.
Other Indonesian winners were Shinta Heru, who beat Thailand's Sivaporn Meyer for gold in the women's welterweight tae kwon do
Malaysia won gold and silver in women's 3-meter springboard diving. Farah Begum Abdullah beat teammate Mun Yee Leong 456.5 to 444.95 for top honors.
Malaysian cyclist Shahrulneeza Razali won these games' first gold, beating Indonesia's Tonton Susanto by 48.03 seconds in the men's 41-kilometer road race.
Other taekwondo winners were the Philippines' Alessandro Libiano, Philippines, who beat Thailand's Prawes Sattakom at men's middleweight, and Vietnam's Lieu Chau Khuc, who defeated the Philippines' Margarita Estela Bonifacio at women's middleweight.
The Philippines also won gold in 9-ball pool team competition, beating Thailand 2-0.