Pongsakorn wins second Paralympic gold
Promising young wheelchair racer Pongsakorn Paeyo crossed the finish line first in the men’s 800m (T53) to capture his second gold at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Friday (Bkk time) and help the Thailand’s Paralympic contingent meet the all ti
The 20-year-old from Khon Kaen, who snatched his first Paralympic gold in the men’s 400m (T53) and an additional silver, the very first Thailand’s medal in Rio de Janeiro, in the men’s 100m, completed a two-lap race with a fine time of 1 minute, 40.78 seconds to claim gold, leaving France’s Pierre Fairbanks and Canadian Brent Lakatos to take home silver and medals in 1.40.97 and 1.41.09 minute respectively.
Thailand also took additional two bronze medals in the athletics competition on Friday. Wheelchair racer Pichaya Kurattanasiri had to be content with the bronze medal after finishing third in the men’s 1,500m (T52) in 3 minutes, 53.96 seconds. The gold medal went to American Raymond Martin, who clocked the best time of 3.40.63 minutes, while Japanese Tomoki Sato picked up silver in 3.41.70 minutes.
Wheelchair-bound Saichon Konjen, who already took bronze medal in the men’s 1,500m (T53-54), clinched his second medal in the Rio Paralympic Games on Friday after taking home silver medal in the men’s 800m (T54) with an impressive time of 1.34.74 minute. Swiss Marcel Hug crossed the line of honour first in 1.33.76 minute, with Korean Kim Gyu Dae claiming bronze medal after clocking 1.34.98 minute.
At press time, the Thailand’s Paralympic contingent have already won an aggregate 5 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze medals in Rio de Janeiro, which has already surpassed the country’s all-time high of 5-4-2 achieved at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games.
Among the five gold medals the Thai contingent have won in Rio de Janeiro, four gold came from the athletics event including two apiece from Pongsakorn Paeyo (men’s 400m and 800m) and Prawat Wahoram (men’s 5,000m and 1,500m in T53-54 class).
Thailand have so far shared the 20th place with South Africa at the medal tally, while China stay atop with 84 gold, followed by Great Britain and Ukraine in distant second and third places with 49 and 35 gold medals respectively.
