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.