SEA Games: Silver for biker Barba this time

BEKASI, West Java—Veteran Joey Barba missed the gold medal in the downhill bike competition of the 26th Southeast Asian Games on Saturday by checking in a fraction of a second behind Indonesian titlist Purnomo in Gunung Pancar here.

Barba, the gold medallist in 2007, clocked 2 minutes and 32.44 seconds for the 1.5-kilometer event held on a muddy and slippery track.

Purnomo, a rookie for the Indonesian team that put two riders in the finals, timed 2:31.45. Thailand’s Thanapon Jarupeng salvaged the bronze in 2:35.92.

Barba, who finished sixth in the seeding run, said he’s happy with the silver.

He earned a break of sorts when heavy rains drenched the course Friday night.

“It’s not bad,” Barba, a 26-year-old HRM freshman from Dumaguete, told the Inquirer. “The change in course conditions actually benefitted me and it slowed down some of the riders (who finished ahead of me in the seeding run).”