CHIANG MAI. Thailand. Dec 11: Indonesia's barefoot teenage distance runner Ruminlo Sudragni surprised herself and her coaches when she set a Southeast Asian {SEA) Games record in the women's 10.000 metres today, reports Reuter

Rumini. a soft spoken but animated 16-year-old from central Java, said after the run that she had not expected to win

"I feel so happy." Rumini said after her 35-minute. 21 43-second win. "My target was for a bronze, not a gold. Rumini. who has been running for only three years, was expected to finish after compatriot Triaslh Handayanl. Triasih barely had time to recover her breath after placing fourth tn the 1.500 metres 20 minutes earlier and could manage only seventh place.

Burma's 16-year-old distance runner Pa Pa. who also ran barefoot to take the silver medal, said she was upset with her "slow" performance of 35:57.86.

In other event*. Filipino track star Elma Muros picked up her second gold and third medal of the SEA Games in the 200 metres, winning in a time of 24.00 seconds. Muros, the SEA Game* record holder in the long jump, took gold in that event and won *ilver in the 100 metres hurdle* on Sunday.

Host Thailand continued to head the medals count scoop-

ing a total of 52. including 22 golds, about halfway through the third day of the nine-day biennial event.

Defending SEA Games champions Indonesia are sec ond in the medals count with a pot of 29. including six golds.

Indonesia's athletics manager Pieter Noya said he thinks the team will still do well, despite Thailand's dominance.

After a disappointing finish on Sunday In the springboard competition, Indonesia took gold in' men's one-metre springboard event today. Temnfy Kusuma scored 375.21 points to edge hometown favourite Suchat Pichi. who had earlier won the three-metre event.

Singapore swimmer Joacelin Yeo. crowned by the media as the queen of the golds" at the last SEA Games, today showed sings she could be set for a repeat performance.

In preliminary heats Yeo broke her own 100-metre butterfly SEA Game* record, clocking one minute. 01.85 seconds. She also qualified first in the 200-metre individual medley.

More than 3.000 athletes from 10 countries are participating in the Chiang Mai SEA Games, which officially opened on Saturday in a gala celebration of fireworks, traditional Thai dancing and a musical light show.

The athletes will vie fdr a total of 334 gold medals, 334 silver medals and 421 bronze medals in 28 sports.

Indonesia, who won the most medals at the 1993 Games in Singapore, are expecting a tough fight with Thailand to take the overall medals crown this year.

Thailand, which was second on the medals list in 1993. have the largest contingent of 640 athletes, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia, officials said.

Other countries represented are Brunei. Burma. Cambodia. Laos. the Philippines. Singapore and Vietnam.