Roslinda Samsu won the women’s pole vault at the Singapore Open athletics meet.

ROSLINDA Samsu will head to the Beijing Olympics in the best possible frame of mind after winning the women’s pole vault at the Singapore Open athletics meet.

Although competing against a mediocre field, Roslinda did not let that distract her from the task at hand as she registered a winning height of 4.12m at the Gombak Stadium.

However, it was still some way off her career best of 4.40m although Roslinda indicated before leaving for Singapore it did not matter what height she registered as she only intended the meet to be a final tune-up for Beijing.

Roslinda avoided the worst of the humid conditions in Singapore as her event took place in the morning unlike Lee Hup Wei, who withdrew from the men’s high jump.

Hup Wei, also bound for Beijing, pulled out as a precaution with the Olympics athletics programme starting in two weeks’ time, citing concern over his health if he competed in the sweltering conditions.

Malaysia also bagged a silver medal through Wong Boon Syian in the women’s high jump after she cleared 1.65m while Yap Jeng Tzan earned a bronze in the women’s discus with a throw of 45.80m on Saturday.

Roslinda and Hup Wei will now return to Bukit Jalil first before leaving for Beijing on Aug 16 and 17 respectively.

There they will be joined by walker Yuan Yufang, due to compete in her third Olympics, on Aug 21 from her training base in Kunming, China.

The athletes will be accompanied by coaches Lou Cwee Peng and Gennady Potapovich with Sarawak Amateur Athletic Association secretary Datuk Tham Siew Kai acting as team manager.

NST

STILL nowhere near the form which saw her soar to the national record two years ago, Roslinda Samsu believes it is only a matter of time before she scales yet another peak.

The pole vaulter only has a season’s best of 4.30 metres which she achieved twice in Spain  but has yet to match her career best of 4.40m, also set in Spain in 2006.

But the Kedah-born athlete knows that she must clear 4.55m at least if she harbours any hope of qualifying for the Olympic pole vault final on Aug 18.

“I’ve yet to reach 4.40m (since setting the national record) but I’ve been consistently clearing 4.30m and I’m still hopeful that by breaking the national record, it will be good enough for a place in the final,” said Roslinda after receiving her official attire at a function in Bukit Jalil.

“Going by the performances at the last World Championships (in Osaka last year), the cut-off mark for the final was 4.55m. It is going to be tough but I’m up to the challenge.”

Only the top 12 athletes from the qualification round will progress to the final two days later.

Roslinda, 26, who will be making her Olympics debut in Beijing, said the one-month competition stint in Spain has put her in the right frame of mind. “There is not much time left and there is nothing more that I can do now. I competed against some of the athletes who will be going to the Olympics like (American) Stacy Dragila and Svetlana Feofanova (of Russia).

“That helped me to build my confidence when I face them again in Beijing,” said Roslinda, who has the Singapore Open as her final tune-up event.

Roslinda earned a silver medal at the Asian Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar earlier this year but missed out on the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain when her poles failed to arrive.

In her maiden World Outdoor Championship outing last year, Roslinda cleared 4.35m in the preliminary round.

She also won gold at the Asian Track and Field Championships, albeit against a weakened field, and at the Korat Sea Games.

NST

FORMER Malaysian 400 metres Olympian Asir Victor (pic) had been invited by the Beijing Olympic Council to witness the athletics programme in the 2008 Olympics.
“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the greatest athletes from all over the world competing for honours,” said Victor, 68, a former employee of Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

Victor, who presently runs a vegetable stall in Ipoh, added: “I will use the opportunity to study the new techniques and facilities used by the athletes and on my return will introduce such techniques in Malaysia.”

Victor, who coaches about 30 students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Puteri in Ipoh, competed in the 400m in three Olympics — Tokyo (1964), Mexico (1968) and Munich (1972). He was eliminated in the first round on all three occasions. He still competes in veteran meets including world competitions.

Victor predicted that a runner from the US will win the 400m in Beijing. — P. CHANDRA SAGARAN