FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Belated bronze medal … nine years later

Belated bronze medal … nine years later

Weightlifter Pensiri Laosirikul was officially awarded an Olympic bronze on Monday after two original 2008 medallists were disqualified due to doping.

Pensiri initially finished fifth in the women’s 48kg event in Beijing but original winner Xiexia Chen of China and runner-up Sibel Ozkan of Turkey have been stripped of their medals after their doping test results were positive.
Pensiri, now 33 and pregnant with her second child, also received BT5.92 million “incentive money” from the government for winning an Olympic bronze. 

"I knew since last year that I would be presented with the medal. I almost didn't believe it until today. I was a bit stunned to be honnest. I would have been better if I had received this medal eight years ago," said Pensiri.
Earlier this year another Thai weightlifter, Wandee Kameaim, was also awarded a weightlifting 53kg bronze for the 2008 Games after Nastassia Novikava of Belaru

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