Thailand scores fifth medal at Paris 2024

Thai taekwondo star Panipak Wongpattanakit retained her Olympic title after beating Qing Guo from China 2-1 in the women’s 49-kilogram category.

Panipak made her way to the final by beating Moroccan Oumaima El Bouchti, Dunya Ali Abutaleb from Saudi Arabia and Lena Stojković from Croatia.

Panipak won the final’s first round at 6-3 with a kick combo on Qing’s head and body. However, the Chinese practitioner rallied to win the second round 3-2.

Panipak wrapped the match in the last 30 seconds of the third round, landing two kicks to Qing’s head. Challenge requests by Panipak’s coach, Chatchai Choi, gave her the win 6-2, a fitting present for her birthday today.

On the weightlifting side, Thai athlete Theerapong Silachai won the silver medal in men’s 61-kilogram category for achieving a total of 303 kilograms, 132 kilograms from snatch lifting, and 171 kilograms from clean and jerk lifting.

He also broke his previous record of 299 kilograms in the Asian Weightlifting Championship in South Korea last year.

Li Fabin from China secured the gold and Morris Hampton from the US took the bronze.

Thai weightlifter Surodchana Khambao secured the bronze medal in the women’s 49-kilogram category for making a total of 200 kilograms, 88 kilograms from snatch lifting, and 112 kilograms from clean and jerk lifting.

China’s Hou Zhihui won the gold with 206 kilograms and Romanian Mihaela Valentina Cambei picked up the silver.

Thailand now has five Olympic medals – one gold, two silver and two bronze – from taekwondo, badminton, weightlifting and boxing.