Supriati captures overdue RI gold

BANGKOK (JP): Practice makes perfect for middle-distance runner Supriati Sutono, who won the 5,000-meter title at the 13th Asian Games here.

A rigorous altitude training program in the tea plantations near the West Java town of Pangalengan, 350 kilometers east of Jakarta, paid dividends for the army sergeant last year when she won three gold medals in record breaking times in the Southeast Asian Games in 1997.

This time around, the strict regime under the tutelage of Nicky Patiasina handed Indonesia's first Asiad track and field golds since Mohammad Sarengat won the 100m and 110m hurdles 36 years ago in the fourth Asian Games in Jakarta.

Supriati finished in a time of 15 minutes 54.45 seconds, only two hundredths of a second ahead off Sunita Rani of India, who had to be content with the silver.

"My target in the Asiad was only to improve my personal best time. Maybe God just didn't have the heart to let my hard work go unpaid," said Supriati, who married fellow sergeant Suyanto after her success at the SEA Games.

The 26-year-old runner shrugged off doubts that her marriage would disturb her preparations for the Asiad.

"To the contrary, I find that my marriage has boosted my morale. My husband always supports me, although we have to live separately when I am training," she said.

"I dedicate the medal to him, my country and my commander," she added.

Supriati, who hails from Cilacap in Central Java, was making her Asiad debut. She came only fifth in the 10,000m earlier this week.

Her daily training schedule included running miles through the hilly terrain of the plantations.

"My only problem during training was shoes. The road was so bumpy that it destroyed my shoes in weeks. I had to change shoes many times to avoid injuring my feet," she said.

Her coach, Nicky, improved his protege's times by pitting her against a men's long-distance runner during training.

"None of our female runners could match Supriati. That's why I picked Ridwan to set the pace for her," Nicky said.

Supriati said she found the unique partnership with a male runner to be very beneficial.

"I know my personal records haven't been good lately. But that was not because I'm not good but because I don't meet tough enough opposition," she said. (yan)