REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SUBANG -- Indonesia grabbed two gold medals at the 18th Asian Games' downhill bike racing event, in Subang, West Java, on Monday. The gold medals were presented by Tiara Andini Prastika, who won the women's downhill category, and Khoiful Mukhib, who won the men's downhill category.
Tiara conquered the track of Khe Bun Hill in Subang in 2 minutes and 33.056 seconds. Her achievement was a big surprise since she was a newbie in downhill category. Previously, she focused on racing in road-bike event.
Another Indonesian athlete, Nining Purwaningsih, added a bronze medal to Indonesia's medal tally after securing the third place. She beat Vipavee Deekaballes of Thailand in the women's downhill category.
Meanwhile, Khoiful finished the race within two minutes and 16.687 seconds. He was 1.497 seconds faster than Chinese-Taipe racer, Chiang Shengshan. Thai athlete Sukchanya Suebsakun secured the third post by 1.762 seconds later.
Indonesian athlete Khoiful Mukhib performs in Seeding Run Men Elite Downhill Asian Games 2018 Mountainbike, at Khe Bun Hill, Subang, West Java on Monday (Aug 20).
As of Monday afternoon, Indonesia had so far collected four gold medals. Earlier on the same day, Lindswell Kwok won the women's wushu in Taijiquan-Taijijian style. Meanwhile, Defia Rosmaniar delivered first gold for Indonesia as she emerged as the winner in the women's taekwondo event on Sunday.
Lindswell said the most difficult contenders to defeat in the women's Taijiquan-Taijijian style were the Japanese athletes whom she had met several times before in other world championships.
President Joko Widodo, who watched Defia grab the gold medal, also watched Lindswell do the same. The head of state was accompanied by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Imam Nahrawi, and Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto, in his capacity as general chairman of the Indonesia Wushu organization.
Indonesia is hosting the Asian Games for the second time this year after Jakarta was selected as the venue for the Asian sporting event in 1962. This year, Jakarta and Palembang, the capital city of South Sumatra Province, are co-hosting the games from August 18 to September 2.
By virtue of its hosting the 2018 games, the country aims to secure a place among the top 10 largest sporting events. Indonesia's target is to make it to the top 10 by winning a minimum of 16 gold medals.
At the world's second biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, around 15,000 athletes from 45 countries will compete in 462 events across 40 sports, of which 32 are Olympic sports.
The Olympic sports are Aquatics, Athletics, Fencing, Weightlifting, Basketball, Handball, Badminton, Baseball/Softball, Cycling, Equestrian, Golf, Wrestling, Hockey, Judo, Karate, Canoeing and Kayaking, Sailing, Shooting, Modern Pentathlon, Archery, Sport Climbing, Rowing, Rugby, Gymnastics, Roller Skating, Football, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Boxing, Triathlon, and Volleyball.
The non-Olympic sports are Bowling; Bridge; Cricket; Kabaddi; Martial Arts, including Jujitsu, Kurash, Pencak Silat, Sambo, and Wushu; Mechanical Sports, such as Paragliding and Jet Skiing; Squash; and Sepak Takraw.
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