Five records fall as Thailand takes the medal lead - South East Asia Games Day 1
Saturday 8 December 2007
Korat, Thailand - Five records fell as host country Thailand took an expected comfortable lead on the opening day of athletics on Friday (7) at the 24th South East Asia (SEA) Games in this city’s His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary Stadium of the northern province of Nakhon Ratchasima.
Indonesia’s Suryo Agung Wibowo (100m), Thailand’s Theerayut Philakong (Triple Jump), Chatchawal Polyemg (Shot Put), Buoban Phamang (Javelin Throw) and Vietnam’s Truong Thanh Hang (1500m) produced the highest notes of the day as six of the 11 participating nations won at least one medal.
100m Games record for Wibowo
After breaking his personal best in the semifinals, 24-year old Wibowo flew to another fine performance in lane four and stopped the clock in 10.25 for a new Games record, just 0.01 seconds faster that the mark set by Thai Reanchai Seeharwong in Brunei 1999.
Fifth in 2003 and third in 2005, the young sprinter improved his four-year old PB twice on the same day and met the B Olympic standard for Beijing 2008. He also became the second Indonesian man to claim a SEA Games men’s title after Mardi Lestari won it three consecutive times (1989-1993).
Thailand’s defending champion Wachara Sondee was pulled to a new personal best of 10.33 as Malaysian junior Mohammad Noor Imran Hadi (10.54) completed the podium spots.
Huong takes women’s 100
In the women’s race, World University Games relay silver medallist Jutamass Tawoncharoen looked set to give the host country a sprint gold after posting the fastest time in the semifinals with a personal best and Olympic B standard of 11.38, but that effort caused her an injury and had to drop out of the final.
That incident paved the way to Vu Thi Huong as she defended her 2005 crown, equaling her personal best of 11.47, just five hundredths of a second shy of the B Olympic qualifying mark.
The 21-year-old, a double sprint medallist at last summer’s Asian Championships in Amman, was followed by Thailand’s Nongnuch Sanrat (11.56) and Indonesia’s 1999 champion Irene Truitje Joseph (11.77).
The host country won six of the nine finals contested on the opening day and three of its winners smashed previous SEA Games records.
Medallists on the first day of the 24th SEA Games (7 Dec):
Men -
100m (-0.1)
- Suryo Agung Wibowo INA 10.25 GR
- Wachara Sondee THA 10.33
- Mohammad Noor Imran Hadi MAS 10.54
400m Hurdles
- Apisit Kuttiyawan THA 50.38
- Zulkarnain Purba INA 51.29
- Teeraporn Parkum THA 51.58
5000m
- Boonthung Srisung THA 14:18.03
- Julius Sermona PHI 14:19.20 SB
3 Bunting Hem CAM 14:24.71
Triple Jump
- Theerayut Philakong THA 16.44 (+1.8) GR
- Kittisak Sukon THA 16.21
- Jobert Delicano PHI 16.07
Shot Put
- Chatchawal Polyemg THA 17.43 GR
- Sarayudh PinitjIT THA 16.99
- Eliezer Sunang PHI 15.62
Women
100m (-0.3)
- Thi Huong Vu VIE 11.47
- Nongnuch Sanrat THA 11.56
- Irene Truitje Joseph INA 11.77
1500m
- Truong Thanh Hang VIE 4:11.60 GR
- Rini Budiarti INA 4:19.99
- Bui Thi Hien VIE 4:32.55
400m hurdles
- Wassana Winatho THA 57.21
- Mary Grace Milgar PHI 59.07 SB
- Nguyen Thi Nu VIE 59.25
Javelin
- Buoban Phamang THA 55.97 GR
- Rosie Villarito PHI 50.49
- Arunya Butsrising THA 39.74