Awesome relay foursome face fierce competition in title defence
Thailand will be out to prove their talents when the Asian Games track and field competition kicks off today, but with athletes from across the continent excelling this season, the Thai contingent will have to work harder than ever for medals.
The Thai athletics squad returned disappointed from the Guangzhou Games four years ago with a below-par three medals, with their single gold coming in the women’s 4x100m relay.
Thailand last year rejoiced at the 17 track-and-field golds they won in the Myanmar Southeast Asian Games, but the 41 athletes in Incheon – 20 men and 21 women – face a much tougher task.
Thai head coach Suwapanat Ariyamongkol reckons the women’s relay team can retain their 4x100m title and the men’s quartet should improve and have a chance of winning a medal.
“This time, our lone gold-medal hope is in the women’s 4x100m relay, with our sprint team strengthened by two months of training and competing in Germany, where they sharpened the baton handover. Plus, the men’s relay squad should come up with an improved performance,” Supawanat said.
However, things could turn sour for Thailand, as they go up against much tougher athletes this time.
In Guangzhou four years ago, the awesome foursome of Phatsorn Jaksunilkorn, Neeranuch Klomdee, Lapatsorn Thaworncharoen and Nongnuch Sanrat won the 4x100m relay gold in a scorching 44.09secs. Lapatsorn, who has a nagging injury, has since been replaced by young star Tassporn Wannakit. The new Thai quartet could only manage 44.42secs in their gold-winning run at the SEA Games in Myanmar last year – well behind the 44.01s achieved by the Chinese at last year’s Asian Athletics Championships in India. Japan are another threat, having finished the Indian tournament second in 44.38s, ahead of Thailand’s Phatsorn, Orranut, Tassaporn and Jintana Seangdee in 44.44s.
On-form sprinters from Kazakhstan, India, Uzbekistan and Vietnam will also threaten the Thai foursome’s reign.
The Thai men’s 4x100m squad will be aiming to regain pride after their dominance at the Asiad was snuffed out in Guangzhou, where their time of 39.75s was only good enough for a consolation bronze. This time, the men’s quartet of Rattanapol Sowan, Watchara Sondee, Jirapong Meenapra and Apisit Promkaew face stiff competition from Hong Kong, China, Japan, Qatar, Indonesia, India and hosts South Korea.
At last year’s Asian meet, Hong Kong stormed home first in 38.94s, followed by Japan and China in 39.11s and 39.17s respectively. Without doubt, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Thailand are the teams to be reckoned with in Incheon.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 100m, Thailand will field triple SEA Games gold medallist Jirapong Meenapra, who clocked 10.48s in Nay Pyi Taw, and Rattanapol Sowan, while the women’s 100m will see Tassaporn Wannakit and Pensri Chaiyapruke aiming for medals.
The Thai 100m speedsters have been overshadowed by Asian rivals in recent times. China’s Su Bingtian clocked 10.17s to win the 100m gold at last year’s Asian meet, while Japan’s Kiryu Yoshihide ran an incredible 10.05s this May, but has pulled out of the Incheon Games due to a hamstring injury. China’s Su, who boasts a personal best of 10.06s will be up against Nigerian-born Qatari Femi Ogunode, the 200m and 400m gold-winner in Guangzhou, who will try for another double – in the 100m and 200m – in Incheon.
In the women’s 100m, Thai sprinters have slim hopes of beating Japan’s Chisato Fukushima, who screeched to two golds in Guangzhou. Also ready to make a surge for the podium are China’s Wei Yongli, who captured gold at last year’s Asian meet in 11.29s, double SEA Games gold-winner Vu Thi Huang of Vietnam, Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Zyabkina and Olga Safronova (bests of 11.23s) and India’s Sharadha Narayana (11.39s).
Thailand’s other medal hopes in track-and-field rest with Wassana Winatho, who won the heptathlon gold in the Asian meet, and pole-vaulters Kreetha Sintawacheewa and Chayanisa Chomchuendee, both of whom trained intensively in Italy for the Games, and triple jumper Thitima Muangjun, bronze medallist in Guangzhou.
The week-long athletics competition will take place on a brand-new blue track in Incheon Asian Main Stadium, with 692 athletes from 41 countries and territories taking part in 47 disciplines. The first five gold medals will be up for grabs today in the men’s hammer and 5,000m and women’s shot put, 10,000m and 3,000m steeplechase.
