Zohri Races Towards Big Dream

REUTERS/IBRAHEEM AL OMARI

Sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri (second right) competes in the men\'s 100-meter final on Monday (4/22/2019) at the 23rd Asian Athletics Championship in Doha, Qatar. Zohri came in second to claim the silver medal, while Japan’s Yoshihide Kiryu (third left) won gold.

DOHA, TUESDAY — West Nusa Tenggara sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri only joined the national athletics training camp in December 2017, but has rapidly rose to the top to become the country’s best sprinter at just 18.

Clocking 10.13 seconds for a national record and claiming the silver medal in the men’s 100-meter on April 21-24 at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Zohri has realized his huge potential.

Standing at 172 centimeters, Zohri caught the eye of Indonesian Athletics Association (PB PASI) coaches when he won the 100-meter with a time of 10.30 seconds at the 2017 Student Training Center (PPLP) interregional championship in Papua, who then asked him to join the national athletics training camp.

In just seven months, Zohri clocked a time of just 10.18 seconds in the 100-meter at the 2018 IAAF U20 World Championships in Finland. Nine months later, he beat Suryo Agung Wibowo’s national and Southeast Asian record of 10.17 seconds on Monday evening (4/22/2019) with a time of 10.15 seconds at the semifinals in Doha.

The next morning, he beat his own record in the final to finish with 10.13 seconds and claim the silver medal. Japan athlete Yoshihide Kiryu won gold with 10.10 seconds, and China sprinter Wu Zhiqiang took bronze with 10.18 seconds.

His performance in Doha continues the young athlete’s rapid development, taking just 16 months to cut off 0.17 second from his personal record. Suryo Agung took three years to achieve the same feat, from 10.41 seconds in 2006, when he first started training under PB PASI coach Eni Nuraini, to 10.17 seconds in 2009, when he was 26 years old.

Eni said that Zohri’s long stride and consistent form from start to finish gave him an advantage that was rare among other national runners.

In other words, Zohri’s advantage lay in the higher number of steps he takes and his endurance throughout a race.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri trains at the 2018 Asian Games national training camp on March 19, 2018 at Madya Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta.

“Usually, national runners lift their legs high at the start of a race but, as they near the finish line, their legs will not be as high. Even though lifting the legs affects the frequency of steps and speed endurance,” said Eni, who was awarded the 2019 Asian Best Athletics Trainer from the Asian Athletics Association.

Zohri said during a phone interview on Tuesday that he had never aimed to win medals or break records. “I focus only on running as best and as relaxed as I can. I always try to be better than before,” said the athlete, who has been training since he was 14.

Training regimen

Zohri’s achievement in Doha was unexpected. He won the 100-meter at the inaugural Malaysia Open Grand Prix this year with a time of 10.20 seconds. “It was great already that he was in the final. However, he ended up winning silver and breaking the national record,” said Eni.

In addition, Zohri was unable to train as hard as usual in the four months leading up to the Doha event, as he had to prepare for his final exams and the national exam. Two weeks before the Asian championship, Zohri was focused on the national exam at Jakarta’s Ragunan Sports School (SKO).

He started light training only on April 5 and the main starting block training the following Friday (4/12). He could not push himself too hard, as he had mild aches in his hips and thighs after Malaysia.

Additionally, Zohri’s had poor reaction time, and was often left behind in the first 30 meters in many training sessions and competitions, and only caught up to the other runners around the 40-meter mark.

Each time Eni gave him suggestions, Zohri calmly replied that he would be better in the actual race. “’Just relax, Ma’am, I will be better in the race’,” Eni quoted him.

Zohri has now set his sights on the much bigger target of getting to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. To do this, he must break through the 10.05 seconds threshold to enter the world’s top 56. “I really want to race in the 2020 Olympics,” he said. (DRI)