Australian Under Pressure to Help Indonesia Win Olympic Gold

Jakarta, 17 Syawal 1437/2 July 2016 (MINA) – If Indonesian athletes claim gold at the Rio Olympics, they can thank an Australian sports scientist from Cairns.

Indonesia’s badminton and weightlifting teams have historically and consistently produced Olympic medals, but endured a poor showing at the 2012 London Olympics, winning just two medals, both in weightlifting, with no gold.

The equivalent to that would be if the Australian swimming team failed to win a single medal at the Rio Olympics.

This year, Indonesia’s sporting fortunes have been handed to sports and exercise science associate professor Stephen Bird, from James Cook University, who has trained athletes from Indonesia in the past with great success.

“We worked with the Indonesian Olympic Committee in 2008 and were quite fortunate that our program had success,” Bird was quoted by abc,net.au as saying.

“Indonesia won one gold, one silver and three bronze. That’s five medals out of a contingent of only 26 athletes.”

Indonesian authorities cancelled an agreement with Australia’s sports scientists in 2011, and saw an immediate drop in international success in weightlifting and badminton, culminating with the dismal showing in 2012.

Fearing a repeat performance in Rio, Indonesia’s Olympic Committee recalled Dr Bird to help, with an expectation that Indonesian athletes, particularly badminton players, would return to the podium.

Dr Bird said Indonesia had a culture that would not accept losing face, so if the Olympic team failed, it would be up to him to explain what happened.

However, if Indonesian athletes achieved Olympic medals, Dr Bird said he would not necessarily receive public gratitude.

“What I have been told is if things don’t go to plan, I will be responsible for fronting the press conference in Rio and Indonesia,” he said.

“However, if things do go to plan and we meet our medal quota, then the country’s chef de mission will take the press conference in Rio and the Minister for Sport will take the press conference in Indonesia.”

Very talented but without access to sports science

Sports science for Olympians still a new concept for Indonesia

According to Dr Bird, Indonesian athletes are very talented but do not have access to sports science or personalised training plans to get them prepared to take on the rest of the world.

“It’s all about fatigue monitoring and recovery management, so we want to make sure we can keep the athletes healthy and well before they get to Rio, to put them in the best position so they can be competitive,” he said.

Dr Bird said the chances of Indonesia taking the podium for badminton and weightlifting were high. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)