Complains Of Extreme Weather In Mimika, West Java Rock Climbing Athletes: Same Heat As In Cibinong

West Java's female rock climber, Widia Fujiyanti while skating under the hot Papuan sky (Photo: PB PON XX PAPUA/Budi Yanto)

JAKARTA - Rock climbing athletes who won gold medals at the XX Papua National Sports Week (PON), Veddriq Leonardo from West Kalimantan and Widia Fujiyanti (West Java)) both complained about extreme weather conditions, sometimes hot, sometimes raining in a day in Mimika.

"The heat is the same as in Cibinong, Bogor. It's just not as extreme as here (Mimika). It's hot, it keeps raining", Widia said when met at the Mimika SP2 Rock Climbing Arena, Tuesday.

Even though it's not nicknamed 'Rain City', the Mimika SP2 Rock Climbing arena also often rains during matches.

Widia said that there were no other obstacles that were felt while competing in the XX Papua PON other than the weather.

"So you have to really take care of your body so that it's always healthy. For everything else, it's fine. There are no problems", said Widia.

Similarly, according to Veddriq, the weather conditions caused him to have problems when he started against an athlete from Sumedang, West Java, Raharjati Nursyamsa in the final of the men's individual speed world record number.

Even though Veddriq had broken the world record for that number.

"Because of the humid conditions and a little rain. So one of the reasons is that we had trouble yesterday", said Veddriq.

However, Veddriq considered that the weather constraints were reasonable because it was a common challenge for athletes who took part in every speed climbing competition arena.

"So it's a challenge in speed numbers like that, sometimes we can get good time records, but we can't always take it out during the competition. Because indeed we have to adapt in every venue that must have its own characteristics", said Veddriq.