Dedeh sets new record with fourth gold

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Having participated in the National Games (PON) five times in a row, Dedeh Herawati is still unbeatable, as proven by her gold-medal finish in the women’s 100-meter hurdles on Wednesday.

Representing Jakarta, Dedeh posted a time of 13.63 seconds, an improvement on her old record of 13.74 seconds she established at the 2008 PON in East Kalimantan.

“Praise be to God. It’s a gold,” she told The Jakarta Post after her race at the track and field stadium in the Rumbai Sports Center, Pekanbaru.

She said winning her fourth gold was a big thrill for her.

“In every race, in every tournament, I always get the same thrills, the same nerves,” said the 33-year-old.

While savoring her victory, Dedeh, who competed in the Beijing Olympics, cautioned that West Java and West Nusa Tenggara athletes should not be overlooked in the next challenge.

“As you can see, the hurdler from West Nusa Tenggara, who came in second, was also great,” she said.

West Nusa Tenggara’s Maryati earned silver in 14.04 seconds, while Enung Neni Meliani of West Java came third with a time of 14.52 seconds.

It looked instant redemption for Dedeh, who came in fourth in the 200-meter dash the day before. She will also run in the women’s 4x100m relay on Thursday.

“My target in the women’s 4x100m relay is to do my best, to run as fast as I can. Hopefully, I can get another gold,” she said. “Our team is solid and we’re ready.”

Apart from breaking her own PON record, Dedeh topped her own national time with a time of 13.18 seconds posted in May.

In the women’s hammer throw, Jakarta also showed its firepower with a one-two finish for its athletes.

Rose Herlinda Inggriana earned the gold with a distance of 50.96 meters, shattering the 2004 PON record of 49.68 meters set by Nia Meilani Usnia of West Java.

Teammate Yurita Ariani throw of 48.29 meters was enough to take silver, while the previous record holder Nia of West Java went 46.25 meters for bronze.

Rose said she was happy about her achievement.

“The most important thing is that this is my first gold, and it’s wonderful that I broke the old record at the same time,” she said.

“We face the best national athletes from across Indonesia, making the pressure bigger than if we compete abroad. And the pressure will be even bigger with new PON record in my hands.”

She said that after the PON, she would soon prepare for the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar.

“The SEA Games are right there waiting for us,” said Rose.

Competition got underway on Monday in track and field, which offers a total of 47 gold medals up for grabs.