Nova recorded a time of 13.74 seconds, defeating Ken Ayuthaya, her teammate from the Jakarta contingent, who recorded a time of 13.99 seconds and took the silver medal.
Meanwhile, the bronze medal was won by Rohani of West Nusa Tenggara, who recorded a time of 14.45 seconds.
Despite winning the gold, Nova failed to breach the national record of 13.18 seconds made by senior athlete Dedeh Erawati.
The 26-year-old woman said she was happy with the outcome, especially since she has just recovered from a surgery.
"I am really happy because I also have just recovered from surgery. For this year's PON, I did not have a target time at all. What matters to me is to feel confident again," the athlete remarked.
With that achievement, Nova said she is optimistic that she can achieve good results in upcoming championships. After PON, she said she will focus on preparing for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
This is not Nova's first gold in the National Games. Earlier, during the 2016 West Java PON, she had brought home three gold medals.
The 20th National Sports Week (PON) 2021 is being held from October 2 to October 15, 2021 in Papua. At least 6,400 athletes and 3,500 officials from 34 provinces across Indonesia are participating in the National Games, which are featuring 37 sports.
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Translator: Fathur Rochman, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
