Triyaningsih has better chance for gold in marathon

Top long-distance runner Triya-ningsih, who kicked off her year with a sterling victory in last week’s Hong Kong Marathon race, is setting her sights on winning a marathon gold medal at the upcoming 2010 Asian Games, according to her long-time coach.

Triyaningsih is projected to compete in the Games’ marathon and 10-kilometer race events, but coach Alwi Mugiyanto said his runner was more likely to excel in the marathon race.

“Tri has a greater chance to get a gold medal in the marathon because she becomes faster the longer she runs. Just like a racing car that becomes faster when the engine has warmed up,” Alwi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

“That’s why she managed to break a record in the 10-kilometer race in Laos, but did not gain the same result in the shorter race, the 5-kilometer, despite winning a gold,” added Alwi.

At December’s 2009 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos, Tri won a gold medal for the 10-kilometer race, where she timed a new record of 32:49.47, and another carat from the 5-kilometer race with a 15:56.79 time.

Last Sunday, Triyaningsih came out as winner at the annual Hong Kong Marathon race where she timed 2 hours 47 minutes and 35 seconds.

She outran Jin Ling Ling of China, who came second in 2:48:40 and Jho-An Banayag of the Philippines in third with 2:52:33. Banayag was a gold medalist at the Laos SEA Games.

Sunday’s race was Tri’s second international marathon achievement. In her debut at the Nairobi Marathon in Kenya in 2008, Tri timed best 2 hours 43 minutes 35 seconds.

As a runner can only attend a marathon twice a year at the most, Alwi targeted to send Tri to half-marathon (21, 28 and 35 kilometers) events, including Pattaya Marathon in Thailand on July 18, and Gold Coast Marathon from July 3-4, as well as several tournaments in Europe.

Alwi said that the ideal preparation period for Triyaningsih should have started at least a year prior to D-Day, in this case, the Asian Games, running from Nov. 12-27 in Guangzhou, China.

Thus, Alwi urged administrative clarity from the National Sports Council (KONI) over the status of his protégée for participating at the upcoming Asian Games in Guangzhou.

“It is March already and we are still performing basic training instead of the intensive regime for the Asian Games.

“We need on-paper certainty that she is part of the squad so that we can set a fixed preparation program,” said Alwi, citing the 2005 SEA Games incident as an example, when Triyaningsih was denied a ticket to the event due to an administrative problem.

The Indonesian Track and Field Association (PASI)’s head of athlete development division, Budi Darma Sidi, acknowledged that KONI had not sent an official letter to athletes accepted in the Asian Games training center, which should have been launched by KONI at the start of February.

“Nonetheless, PASI has informed the nine athletes and coaches to go on with their own training programs,” said Budi.

Tri is among the nine selected track-and-field athletes, including Suryo Agung Wibowo (men’s 100-meter and 200-meter dash, 4x100-meter relay), Agus Prayogo (men’s 10-kilometer race), Dedeh Irawati (women’s 100-meter hurdles), Heru Astriyanto (men’s 400-meter race), Yahuza (men’s marathon), as well as Fadlin, Fernando Lumain and Rizki Latip (men’s 4x100-meter relay).