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Rifda wins gold, while Maria falls short with silver
Gotcha: Indonesian karateka Cok Istri Agung Sanistya Rani (left) fights Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Ngoan during the karate women’s kumite-61 kilogram semifinal at the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday
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span class="inline inline-center">Gotcha: Indonesian karateka Cok Istri Agung Sanistya Rani (left) fights Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Ngoan during the karate women’s kumite-61 kilogram semifinal at the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday. Karate contributed two gold medals from Wednesday’s matches, one from Rani and another from Iwan Bidu Sirait (men’s kumite-55 kg).(JP/Seto Wardhana)
Two surprising results occurred at the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Wednesday for Indonesia, with underdog Rifda Irfanaluthfi winning gold in gymnastics, while two-time gold medalist Maria Natalia Londa stumbled to finish with silver.
“This is a big surprise, even for myself, to win the gold in the [women’s] balance beam, because my target was the floor exercise,” Rifda said after Wednesday’s finals as quoted by Antara.
“I’m so happy to win my first SEA Games gold medal here,” said Rifda, who has also won a silver and three bronzes at the Kuala Lumpur Games.
Malaysia’s Tan Ing Yueh was awarded the balance beam silver medal, while the Philippines’ Kaitlin Cera Lianne dela Cruz de Guzman nailed the bronze.
In track and field, Maria Natalia Londa, the gold medalist at the last two editions of the SEA Games in the women’s triple jump category, could not hide her disappointment after realizing she no longer held the title.
Maria repeatedly expressed her apologies to the press for her failure to win gold.
Maria, who stunned Asia when she brought home the gold medal in the long-jump at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, could only bag a silver medal on Wednesday, after conceding defeat to Vietnam’s Vu Thi Men.
The 26-year-old recorded a jump of 13.52 meters, but was outclassed by the eventual winner, who recorded 14.15-m with her first of six attempts.
Maria’s left tendon injury, which she suffered at the 2015 Singapore Games and prevented her from walking for a time, is believed to have affected her performance.
“Since taking a break two years ago [to receive medical treatment for her injury], maybe I am not yet ready to reach my best,” she told reporters after the competition, while wiping away tears.
Last year, Maria took part in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, as well as West Java’s National Games (PON), where she earned two gold medals for her province of Bali.
She said, however, that she had begun to fully recover in January this year.
Maria’s jump of 14.17-m, which she produced at the 2013 Myanmar Games, remains the SEA Games record.
Maria has contributed four gold, two silver and two bronze medals to Indonesia since she first competed at the biennial event 10 years ago.
She still has a chance to snatch a gold medal as she will compete in the long-jump category on Friday.
“Ready or not, I have to face it. With the support and prayers from fellow Indonesians, I will do my best,” she said, referring to her upcoming competition.
Indonesia won a number of medals during Wednesday’s finals. Iwan Bidu Sirait won the men’s kumite under 55-kg in karate, while Cok Istri Agung Sanistya Rani won the women’s kumite under 61-kg.
Meanwhile, Dwi Agus Prayoko won a silver in the men’s vault table in artistic gymnastics.
Indonesia won seven silver medals for the day including Ayustina Delia Priatna in the women’s individual mass start cycling and Indra Jaya Kusuma in the men’s epee individual in fencing.
In badminton, Indonesia’s men’s team, the defending champion, advanced to Thursday’s final where it will face archrival Malaysia.
