RI swimmers prepare for Hiroshima

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian swimmers are making preparations for the 12th Asian Games in Hiroshima with a one-month stint in the United States.

The national squad, made up of six male and five female swimmers, will undergo their training sessions at the Mike Dickson swimming club in Ontario, California. They will avail themselves of several competitions there to test them for the Games.

An official of the Indonesian Swimming Federation (PRSI) Dedeng Kurnia said yesterday that men's swimmers Vidi Lukman Korompis, and the Sutanto brothers, Albert and Felix, plus women's swimmers Elsa Manora Nasution, Meitri Widya Pangestika, Rita Mariani, Cynthia Putrianda and Olga Halim, will leave for the United States on June 10.

The swimmers will join their teammates, Wisnu Wardhana, Richard Sam Bera and Wirmandi Sugriat, who have been there due because of school commitments. Coaches Raja Nasution and Lisa Siregar will accompany the national team during their American stint.

"We want them to get as much experience as possible from the swimming competitions they will participate in there," said Dedeng. PRSI has long been sending their athletes to the United States, one of the world's swimming powerhouses, for performance- enhancing programs.

Dedeng said Indonesia was keeping up with other Southeast Asian countries in preparing for swimming events at the October's Asian Games. He said Singapore and the Philippines had also moved their swimmers' base camps to the United States, while Thailand chose China and Australia.

Indonesia won three bronzes in the 1990 edition of the quadrennial Games. This was due to Richard and Wirmandi who finished third in the men's 100m freestyle and 200m breaststroke respectively, and the women's 4 X 100m freestyle team made up of Meitri, Elfira Rosa Nasution, Tjia Fei Khim and Yen Yen Gunawan. (amd)