Thailand remains on top in SEA Games

Thailand remains on top in SEA Games

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (AP): A reformed runner from Thailand and an Indonesian distance specialist each won their second gold medals of the Southeast Asian Games Tuesday, while ornamented boats carried Myanmar to its first two triumphs.

Singapore swimmer Joscelin Yeo, who surprised some people by losing a race Monday, rolled on to her fourth gold medal and fourth games record.

In the overall medals race, Thailand stayed barely ahead. It won 10 golds Tuesday, while Malaysia captured 12, making Thailand retain top stop with 30 golds and Malaysia at second place with 29 golds. Thailand had total medals of 79 and Malaysia 74.

Indonesia had 24 golds after winning 12 Tuesday, including distance runner Supriati Sutono's victory in the 1,500 meters, on top of her triumph in the 5,000.

Thailand's Reanchai Seeharwong, who had been left off the 1997 Thai team for breaking training, confirmed his place as the games' top sprinter by adding the 200-meter title to his 100- meter gold. He won the 200 in 20.69 seconds, with Indonesia's John Muray taking silver in 21.05.

For the day, Thailand came out ahead in track and field, winning five golds to four for Malaysia and two for Indonesia.

Supriati beat Vietnam's Dinh Khanh Doan Pham by more than 11 seconds in the 1,500, finishing in 4 minutes, 28.57 seconds.

For the third time in the games, a women's event had only two competitors. Thailand's Suthorn Chatwadee beat lone rival Ai Seng Tea of Brunei 49.13 meters to 24.98 in the women's javelin throw, and then was taken to the stadium clinic for shortness of breath. She said later she was fine.

Other Thai winners were Wirid Sarad, who edged teammate Jirachai Linglom 51.36 to 51.38 in the men's 400-meter hurdles; Kawrungruang Sunisa, winner by 4 millimeters over Indonesia's Nyoman Rae in the women's triple jump; and Supavadee Khawpeag in the women's 200.

For Malaysia, Arumugam Munusamy won the men's 1,500, Norasheela Mohd Khalid won the women's 400 hurdles, Loo Kum Zee took the men's high jump and Wong Tee Kue was the men's hammer champion.

Indonesia's Kahol Ponsianus won the men's javelin.

Games record

In swimming, Yeo broke her games record in the 100-meter butterfly by more than one second, winning in 1:00.44.

Thailand's Pilin Tchakittiranan, who beat Yeo in the 400-meter freestyle Monday, took gold in the 800 Tuesday.

Teammate Chonlathorn Vorathamrong won the 100-meter backstroke, to go with her victory at 200 meters Monday.

In the men's 100-meter backstroke, Alex Lim captured his third gold for Malaysia, winning in a record 56.20 seconds despite a persistent flu. Malaysian Dieung Manggang won the men's 400-meter freestyle.

Indonesia also won two swimming golds. Albert Sutanto took the men's 100-meter butterfly, and Indonesians won the men's 4x100- meter freestyle relay in games record time.

Indonesia also won the women's badminton team title with a victory over Thailand, and Shenny Ratna Amelia beat old rival Tommaoros Sukrutai of Thailand in the women's 10-meter platform diving.

But in the first day of racing in traditional boats, Myanmar beat the Indonesians in two women's events at 400 meters, for 12- and 22-women crews. Indonesia won the in 12-man race in the long boats.

Indonesia's Risa Suseanty won the women's 1.7-kilometer downhill mountain bike race, and Thailand's Chakrit Rungsuwan won the men's, beating defending champion Sugianto Setiyawan of Indonesia.

Indonesia also swept the badminton team titles, beating Malaysia for the men's and Thailand for the women's.

An Indonesian pair beat Singaporeans for the gold in 9-ball pool doubles, and a Thai pair beat Malaysians for the English billiards doubles title.

In karate, Malaysia's Kong Tai Moon beat the Philippines' Jose Enrique Azarcon for gold at 65 kilograms, and teammate Rajoo Muniandy beat Brunei's Narawi Yahya in the 70-kilogram final. Indonesia's Syamsuddin Arif Taufan beat Brunei's Sanif Md. Fadilah at 60 kilograms, and Vietnam's Kim Anh Vu beat Indonesia's Sandra Aryani in the women's 53-kilogram division.

Thailand beat Indonesia for the gold medal of men's team tennis, but the Indonesians saved a gold in the women's competition when Wynne Prakusya and Romana Tedjakusuma won the deciding doubles match 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 against the Philippines' Pamela Flora and Maricris Fernandez.