National —
On August 7th, 2024, “Tennis” Panipak Wongpattanakit, a Thai taekwondo star, secured the gold medal in the women’s 49 kg category at the Paris 2024 Olympics, triumphing over China’s Guo Qing, ranked sixth.
Panipak’s journey began in the Round of 16, where she defeated Morocco’s Oumaima El-Bouchti with scores of 8-1 and 10-1. In the quarterfinals, she bested Saudi Arabia’s Danya Ali M. Abutaleb, winning 4-1 and 13-1. In the semifinals, she overcame Croatia’s Lena Stojković, winning 8-0 and 11-4.
In the final match, both athletes were cautious at first, but Panipak managed to take the lead, winning the first round 6-3. However, in the second round, Guo Qing tied the match by winning 3-2. In the decisive round, with 30 seconds remaining, Panipak scored crucial points after a successful challenge, finishing the match 6-1.
Panipak’s victory, which was on her 27th birthday, marks her second Olympic gold, making her the first Thai athlete to win two Olympic gold medals. She previously won bronze at Rio 2016. Her achievements have earned her a total of 15.88 million baht in prize money and benefits from the Thai government and sponsors. Tennis is planning to retire from active competition and focus on coaching and training at her Panipak Taekwondo gyms in Thailand.
Coach Chatchai “Che” Chao commented on the victory, stating, “The challenge was based on experience and confidence. I told Panipak to play as she did in the earlier rounds, and it worked. This gold is crucial as it will boost the morale of the entire Thai team.”
“Yu” Banlung Tubtimdang will compete in the men’s 68 kg category on August 8th. And “Baitoey” Sasikarn Tongchan will compete in the women’s 67 kg category on August 9th.
Thai Weightlifters Shine at Paris 2024
Thai weightlifter Theerapong Silachai from Sisaket Province won a silver medal in the men’s 61 kg category. Competing against top contenders like China’s Li Fabin and the USA’s Hampton Morris, Theerapong set a personal best with a combined lift of 303 kg, securing the silver medal.
In the women’s 49 kg category, Surodchana Khambao, a three-time world champion, won bronze. She lifted a total of 200 kg, following a successful snatch of 88 kg and a clean and jerk of 112 kg.
Thai weightlifters have shown remarkable performance on the first day, securing medals in both categories they competed in.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
