RI swimmers prepare for Hiroshima

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)