Indonesian Weightlifters Intensify Training After Arriving in Brazil
Jakarta. Indonesia's Olympic weightlifters have started with intensive training in Brazil on Friday (29/07), in continuation of their program after a 10-day training camp in Cape Town, South Africa, earlier in July.
Some lifters were reportedly suffering from jetlag caused by the effects of the long flight and the five-hour time difference between Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro.
Two lifters, Triyatno and I Ketut Ariana, were given permission to rest, while the remaining five continued their training under the supervision of head coach Dirja Wihardja and high-performance coach Aveenash Pandoo.
Team manager Alamsyah Wijaya said the time in Cape Town has shifted the athletes' performance to a higher level.
"In Cape Town, we had a 10-day program to finalize our conditioning before the Olympic Games. We fixed the athletes' technical shortcomings, increased their power, gave them the correct nutrition and minimized the effects of jetlag. So far their progress has been incredible," Alamsyah said in a statement.
He admitted however, that the Indonesian weightlifting team will rely heavily on its two best lifters, London Games silver medalist Triyatno and two-time bronze medalist Eko Yuli Irawan.
"[Eko and Triyatno] are still the best, although new stars might be rising in Rio," Alamsyah said.
While Russian lifters have reportedly been banned from this year's Games, Alamsyah was of the opinion that it was unlikely to have any effect on Indonesia's results.
"[Russia's absence] probably won't affect us, since we don't compete against them in most classes, yet there's one class, in the men's 69 kilogram, where we may have an advantage because of the ban," the team manager said.
The seven Indonesian weightlifters who qualified for Rio will take part in their first competition at the Games on Saturday.
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