Santia, Uyun vie for Olympic slots
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Santia Tri Kusuma and Uyun Muzizah will take part in two of the four world series in a bid to take berths in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, according to a top official of the Indonesian Cycling Association (ISSI).
"We have decided that Santia and Uyun will race in just two of the series," ISSI secretary-general Sofian Ruzian told The Jakarta Post here on Monday.
Sofian said that the decision had been made to save money.
The ISSI has also decided to send Ferinanto in the men's category but only in one series. However, the gold medalist at the recent Southeast Asian (SEA) will likely find the competition more difficult than his female compatriots.
Ferinanto earned one of the four gold medals the Indonesian cycling team won at the SEA Games in Vietnam in December, while Santia contributed two.
The two series will be in Manchester, England, from April 9 to 11 and Sydney from May 14 to 16. Santia and Uyun will not join the earlier two series in Moscow and Mexico respectively.
Their performances in the series will decide whether the riders, who will be racing in the 20-kilometer Point Race, are eligible to compete in the next World Cup in May, from which the ten top contenders in the final rankings will qualify for Athens.
Despite the potentially tough competition, Sofian said that they were optimistic about the Indonesian riders' prospects.
Even if they fail, they -- particularly Santia -- can hope the other results go in their favor or expect a wild card as the Asian cycling federation has promised to give to any rider from the continent with good prospects.
"If our riders fail in the series or the World Cup, we will rest our hopes on Korean rider Han Song-hee," Sofian said.
Already-qualified Han is currently leading the Grade B rankings, with Santia in second place.
With the top ranked rider assured of a place, an opportunity will open up for Santia if the Korean also manages to take a top ten place in the World Cup. If this happens, the Indonesian will automatically move to the top of the rankings, thus qualifying for Athens.
"We can also be hopeful that the Asian federation will grant a wild card to either Santia or Uyun," Sofian said.
Uyun was the silver medalist at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan while Santia took bronze in the road race and individual pursuit respectively.
"However, it would be better if Santia and Uyun do the job themselves. We hope Santia will continue her winning form at the SEA Games with a more convincing performance at the higher level," Sofian said.