Reynaldi snatches, cleans and jerks way to podium

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Cebu City, the Philippines

The Indonesian weightlifting team's many newcomers have likely taken home some valuable experience from the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, but not much hardware, however Reynaldi Saenal finished a respectable second place.

Competing in the men's 105-kilogram class on Saturday, Reynaldi managed to lift 148 kilograms (kg) in the snatch and 188 kg in the clean and jerk. His 336 kg total was good enough for silver, his first ever medal in the SEA Games.

The gold went to Thailand's Suthipon Natthanakasimam with a total of 346 kg (156 kg snatch, 190 kg clean and jerk). Filipino Renante de Briones placed third with a total of 323 kg (145 kg snatch, 178 kg clean and jerk).

"This is good for Reynaldi as it is his first performance at the SEA Games," team manager Sonny Lumban Tobing said.

Sonny added that Reynaldi had a chance to win if only he had been more relaxed in his second attempt to lift 199 kg in the clean and jerk. "He nearly got it, but his feet were still moving so his lift was disallowed (by the referee)."

Two other Indonesian rookies, Bayu and Beti Feriyani, also competed well on Saturday, but with little to show for their efforts.

Seventeen-year-old Bayu, competing in the men's 94-kg class, failed on all three attempts at 180 kg in the clean and jerk, which could have put him on the podium. Previously, he had snatched 151 kg.

Thailand's Khunchai Nuchpurn was crowned the champ in the 94- kg division with a total lift of 343 kg, followed by Filipino Alfonsito P. Aldenete with 307 kg and Vietnam's Vu Hong Phong at 295 kg.

Beti, 20, finished fourth in the women's 69-kg division, trailing champion Prawina Thongsuk of Thailand, Myint Kyi of Myanmar and Khuat Minh Hai of Vietnam.

Sonny reminded reporters of the two lifters' inexperience and lack of confidence.

"It was Bayu's first international event and he might've been nervous," he said. "While Beti is also still young and it was her first international event as well."

Indonesia's weighlifting team still has two individual champions out of the 10 divisions so far in these Games and aims for another gold.