Supriati eying bronze in Asian Games 10,000m

JAKARTA (JP): The nation's top female distance runner, Supriati Sutono, set yesterday a realistic target of winning a bronze in the 10,000 meters in her Asian Games debut in December.

Supriati, who chalked up meet record times in sweeping three golds in the 19th Southeast Asian Games here last year, said she preferred not to shoot for overly lofty goals because of the stiff opposition from the continent's best runners.

The Army sergeant most recently clocked 33 minutes 43.41 seconds in the 10,000 to finish fifth in the Asian Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, last month. It beat her SEA Games record of 34:02.26.

"Based on my performance in the Asian meet, I think my biggest opportunity to win a medal will come in the 10,000," she said during national track and field simulation races at the Senayan Madya Stadium.

Supriati ran a lackluster 34:28.26 to win the 10,000m yesterday, and complained later of the absence of a serious challenge to push her to a faster time.

In the 5,000, she clocked 16:11.80, a shade off her personal best of 16:11.60 set in last year's SEA Games.

Supriati will also try her luck in the 5,000 and 1,500 at the upcoming Asiad, although she admitted her medal winning prospects were remote.

"It's difficult for me to beat Chinese and Japanese athletes who usually run faster than me in the two events."

Supriati looks almost certain to be the only track and field athlete to don the national colors in December's Asian Games in Bangkok.

"My major personal target is to improve my records. Running in three events at such a major competition as the Asiad alone is very burdensome," she said.

Supriati said a nagging ankle injury she sustained during training in Pengalengan, West Java, just before leaving for Fukuoka could dash her dreams of winning a medal.

"It still hurts me and I'm still traumatized when I'm running," she said.

Separately, the Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association's secretary-general, Barmawi Chaidir, said he hoped that the sports council would allow the association to send more athletes to the Asiad.

"Host Thailand is expecting as many Indonesian track and field athletes as possible. I believe there are some athletes other than Supriati who deserve the chance," he said.

Chaidir named women's walker Tersiana as a possibility.

The association will send the two athletes and probably others to the Singapore Open championships from Sept. 4 to Sept. 6. (yan)