Nurhayti expected to grab five golds in cycling

Nurhayti expected to grab five golds in cycling

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's most promising woman cyclist,
Nurhayati, is expected to grab five gold medals at the 19th SEA
Games in October, an official said.

Sofian Ruzian, the national cycling team manager, said on
Tuesday that the five golds would most likely come from track and
road races.

"Nurhayati told us that she will certainly take part in the
five cycling events," Sofian said. "We only hope she can capture
the gold medals."

Nurhayati, from Yogyakarta, will compete in the 20-kilometer
individual team trial (ITT), sprint, 3,000-meter individual
pursuit (IP) and 70-kilometer individual road race (IRR).

It has been reported that Nurhayati may quit cycling after the
SEA Games.

According to Sofian, Nurhayati has no rival in Southeast Asia.

"So, we believe she will do her best in the five events."

In the 20km ITT, Nurhayati will compete against Chalem
Chompusri, the gold medalist from Thailand at the 1995 SEA Games
in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

At the Chiang Mai Games, Nurhayati was defeated by Chalem for
the first time. Nurhayati and an official were suspicious that
her time was fiddled with to prevent her from winning the event,
Antara reported on Tuesday.

For the 20km ITT, Nurhayati will be partnered with Tuti
Suhesti while Chalem will be supported by Banna Champou and Prane
Soraton.

Thailand will also be represented by their best women cyclists
Sirinya Nantrapon and Tilipawan Jantorn. Both Sirinya and
Tilipawan will be tough rivals for Nurhayati and Selly Guntari.

Banna and Sirinya will race in the 3000m IR and 30km point
race while Chalem will not only race for the 20km ITT but also
the 70km IRR.

"The biggest challenge for our women cyclists will come from
Thailand," Sofian said. "I am optimistic that Nurhayati and her
teammates will do their best."

Race team

The Indonesian women's track and road race team are:

20km ITT: Nurhayati, Tuti Suhesti and Nuraeni.

Sprint: Nurhayati, Cecilia and Selly Guntari.

3000m IP: Nurhayati, Selly Guntari and Tuti Suhesti.

Point race: Nurhayati, Nuraeni and Selly Guntari.

70km IRR: Nurhayati, Nuraeni, Selly Guntari and Sudatin.

The Indonesian Swimming Association is still waiting for the
arrival of 10 swimmers who have not returned home from training
overseas.

Kristiono Sumano, the association's deputy secretary-general
said on Tuesday that the National Sports Council had called on
the swimmers to return in September at the latest.

"We expect that the swimmers will return on Thursday after
finishing their training stints abroad," Kristiono said. "The
swimmers will join the other 12 swimmers for further practice
prior to the SEA Games."

The association has already sent a letter to the swimmers,
Kristiono said.

"But their coach wanted the swimmers to finish their training
programs first before returning home," Kristiono added.

The 10 swimmers are Richard Sam Bera, Wishnu Wardana, Felix
Sutanto, Albert Sutanto, Denny Kurniawan, Audi Oktavian, Elsa
Manora Nasution and Olga Halim (all are training in the United
States), Catherine Surya in Australia and Metri W. Pangestika in
Germany.

In the swimming events at the Games, Kristiono said that
Indonesians will enter all 32 events.

"Observing from the swimmers' performance, only Richard and
Catherine are expected to grab gold medals." (lnt)