Richard and Supriati break SEAG records

Richard and Supriati break SEAG records

By Novan Iman Santosa

KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Richard Sam Bera and Supriati Sutono bid
farewell to the Southeast Asian Games with their heads held high
after winning their gold medals in record breaking time on
Wednesday.

The achievement served as a consolation to the Indonesian
contingent, which has seen Thailand surpass it in the medal
tally.

After five days of competition, Malaysia collected 56 golds.
Sixteen of them were secured on Wednesday mostly in gymnastics.
Thailand has now overtaken Indonesia with 41 golds.

Indonesia, which has lost its championship only three times
since its SEA Games debut in 1977, was relegated to third place
with 37 golds.

Security concerns cast a shadow on the fifth day of
competition on Wednesday following the terrorist attacks on the
United States. Police increased security measures at all venues
and the main press center (MPC) of the games.

A spokesman for the MPC said that security personnel at the
venues had been instructed to conduct random checks on people and
bags.

Richard won the men's 50m freestyle at the National Aquatic
Complex, Bukit Jalil. While a win was no surprise for the man who
has dominated the field since 1993, his achievement in shattering
the old record was the icing on the cake.

Richard chalked up the best time of 23.03 seconds, shaving 24
hundredth of a second off the 12-year-old mark of 23.27 seconds
set by Singaporean Ang Peng Siong.

Supriati won the women's 10,000-meters in a meet record 33
minutes, 50.06 seconds. The old record was at 34:02.26.

"This is my last SEA Games because I want to have a baby. I
am already 30 years old and haven't had any yet," Supriati told
reporters.

Apart from their commendable feat, the Indonesian contingent
have suffered a setback against Thailand, let alone Malaysia with
the games into the first half.

With Malaysia and Thailand likely to fight further in stiff
rivalry for the championship, Indonesia looked mediocre with only
11 golds on Wednesday.

Indonesia won three in rowing, two in weightlifting, and one
each in athletics, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, billiards and
tennis, where it beat Thailand 2-1 for the men's team title.

Jonathan Sianturi won his third gold medal in gymnastics after
winning the pommel horse event at the Putra Stadium, at which the
host Malaysia performed formidably.

The Indonesian weightlifting team may have been disappointed
with Lisa's failure in what had formerly looked like a certain
win, but Erwin Abdullah and Misdan Yunip came out as the saviors
with a gold each.

Lisa and the eventual champion Swe Swe Win booked the same
lift, only for the Indonesian to be ruled out because she weighed
heavier than the Myanmarese.

Suwandi and teammates made a double win for the tennis team
with a 2-1 victory over Thailand in the men's final. The day
before, their female compatriots beat Malaysia for the gold.

Jamaluddin and Muhammad Anwar teamed up for the gold in the
men's coxless event, while Rita and Susilawati accomplished the
same in the women's competition.

Indonesian rowers took the third gold on the day from the
men's coxless four after beating the Philippines and Myanmar in
the final.

Tonton Susanto continued Indonesian domination on the cycling
track with a victory in the men's 45km road race Individual Time
Trial (ITT). The Indonesian scored 56 minutes 18.937 seconds to
leave Mai Cong Hi Eu of Vietnam and Victor Espiritu of the
Philippines behind.