RI lifters have bigger chance in 48kg class

RI lifters have bigger chance in 48kg class

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Olympic Games deputy chef de
mission, Imron Z.S., and the Indonesian Weightlifting,
Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association's (PABBSI) weighlifting
training director, Djoko Pramono, told reporters on Tuesday that
Indonesia has a good chance to win a medal in the women's 48
kilograms division at the quadrennial event.

Imron said the absence of Chinese lifters, who won the event
at the World Championships last year in Athens, might enable
Indonesia's two lifters, Sri Indriyani and Lisa Rumbewas, to win
the medal.

Both Sri and Lisa joined their compatriots Winarni and Supeni,
who are competing in the 53kg division, for the final evaluation
on Aug. 9 and Aug. 14.

According to Imron, the evaluation results were as follows:
Sri lifted 85.5kgs in snatch, 112.0kgs in clean and jerk and a
total lift of 197.5kgs. Her total lift equaled the world record
created by Liu Xiuhua of China at the World Weightlifting
Championships in Montreal in June.

While Lisa lifted 85.0kgs in snatch, 110.0kgs in clean and
jerk and a total of 195.0kgs.

"As the Chinese lifters will be absent in the women's 48kgs
division, our lifters will have a great chance to contribute a
medal from a sport other than badminton," he said.

In the women's 53kg division, Winarni lifted 97.5kgs, which
also equaled the world record created by Meng Xianjuan of China
in the World Weightlifting Championships in Chiba, Japan, last
year. The Indonesian lifted 115.0kgs in clean and jerk and a
total lift of 212.5kgs.

While Supeni only lifted 85.0kgs in snatch, 110.0kgs in clean
and jerk and a total lift of 195.0kgs.

Indonesia earned three Olympic berths but the PABBSI had
problems in deciding which athletes would represent the country
in the event. Therefore the association decided to stage an
evaluation to pick three athletes.

"I will report the results of today's meeting to the Olympics
executive training director tomorrow. It's unethical if I
announce the names today," Imron said, declining to mention the
lifters.

However, he added, the National Sports Council (KONI) will not
only observe the final evaluation of the athletes but also assess
their physical and psychological condition as well as their self
confidence, all of which are needed to overcome pressure in such
a major event.

PABBSI sparked controversy last week when its new chairman
Dharma Surya made the decision to expel Supeni from the squad
just two-days before the Aug. 9 selection, and put Lisa's name on
the squad list instead. Lisa was trained in Dharma's training
center in Balikpapan, South Kalimantan.

But Djoko, who was very upset with the one-sided action,
managed to persuade KONI to postpone the decision until after the
evaluation. (yan)