Thailand and Malaysia get most of track and field golds

Thailand and Malaysia get most of track and field golds

By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat

JAKARTA (JP): Athletics may not have been the most watched
sport in the SEA Games but track and field athletes were some of
the most impressive, breaking 18 Games records.

Thai athletes put up a good show, but their final performance
was not as strong as many had predicted. Before the competition
the Thais boasted that they would break over a dozen Games
records in track and field. Thai athletes ended up with seven new
Games records.

Of the 42 gold medals, Malaysia had the biggest haul with 16
golds, seven silvers and five bronzes. Their athletes broke five
Games records: the 110m men's hurdles, 20 km men's walk, 10,000m
women's walk, the men's long jump and the 50 km men's walk.

Its star was sprinter Shanti Govindasamy, 30, who took
everyone by surprise by sweeping the 100m and 200m gold, ahead of
the heavily favored Thai Dokjun Dokduang and Myanmar's Htay Than
Than.

Shanti's win was simply a matter of performing when it counted
most, since both Dokjun and Htay had recorded better times than
Shanti's gold medal run in earlier qualifying heats.

Shanti's performance, along with jumper Zaki Sadri who won the
long jump and triple jump, helped Malaysia eclipse Thailand who
won 15 golds, 19 silvers and seven bronzes.

Thailand's most impressive performers were their relay
runners, who took three of the four relay gold medals available.
The only gold that got away was the men's 4x400m, which was taken
by Malaysia.

Supriati

For local fans, the darling of the track and field was
Supriati Sutono, 25, who not only won gold in the 1,500m, 5,000m
and 10,000m, but also broke the Games record in all three events.

In each of the three races she beat favorite Yu Fang Yuan of
Malaysia, who many had thought would conquer the 5,000m and
10,000m.

It was Supriati's final sprinting strength which Yu Fang could
not contend with as the Malaysian had to settle for three
silvers.

Supriati, a sergeant in the Armed Forces, seemed relentless in
her drive to win and even opposing coaches had to sing her
praises.

Supriati admits that the victory is as much a burden as it is
a blessing for her as she now has to maintain her form. She will
soon begin intensive training next year for next December's Asian
Games in Bangkok.

After winning her third gold Saturday, Supriati was mobbed by
inquisitive reporters, who asked her whether what kind of bonuses
she might receive. "I haven't really thought about it. If anyone
is generous enough to contribute of course I would be grateful,
but I'm not too bothered," the softly-spoken middle-distance
queen said.

The Philippines which went home with three gold medals, four
silvers and three bronzes, has a lot of home work to do as they
were primarily motored by very senior athletes.

Two of their gold were won by perennial favorite Elma Posadas,
30, who won the women's long jump and heltathalon. Elma now has
an impressive collection of a dozen SEA games medals including
seven in the long jump. Her first medal was won in the 1983 SEA
Games.

The third gold for the Philippines was one by another 'old-
timer', Hector Begeo, in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Singapore rounded up the gold-medal tally, capturing two. It
also won three bronzes.

Myanmar, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia did not win any
golds. The latter two did not get any medals in track and field.