Thais rake in more medals in Indonesia
Vipavee claims silver in downhill bike meet
Thai athletes kept the scoreboard ticking at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, adding one silver and three bronze medals to their haul yesterday.
The day’s only silver medal was contributed by cyclist Vipavee Deekaballes, who was accompanied by two riders from the host nation on the podium for women’s downhill mountain bike event.
Vipavee was more than 9.5 seconds slower than winner Andini Prastika’s time of two minutes, 33.056 seconds. However, the Thai rider’s effort was good enough to pip another Indonesian competitor
Nining Porwaningsih to third place.
Thailand also picked up a bronze medal in men’s downhill final race with Suebsakun Sukchanya taking third place behind Khoiful Mukhib (2:16.687) of Indonesia and Chiang Shengshan (+1.497sec) of Taiwan.
The 24-year-old Suebsakun was only 1.762sec slower than the race winner, with his teenage brother Chinnapat finishing fourth in the event.
The country’s weightlifters also succeeded in adding a bronze medal to the tally.
Thunya Sukcharoen finished a distant third in the women’s 48kg class as the weightlifting competition started yesterday.
Ri Song-Gum of North Korea emerged as the gold medal winner with a total of 199kg — 10kg more than the aggregate managed by the Thai bronze medallist.
Thunya, who won a gold medal at the 2017 world championship, was also outperformed by Indonesia’s Sri Wahyuni Augustiani, who took home the silver with a total of 195kg.
Thunya’s best in snatch was 87kg on her third attempt. She lifted 102kg in clean and jerk on her second attempt.
She then failed to hoist 109kg on her third visit to the stage — the lift would have helped her overtake Augustiani for silver medal.
In the men’s 56kg contest, Sinphet Kruaithong’s best was not enough to earn Thailand another weightlifting medal.
Olympic bronze medallist Sinphet first snatched 119kg and made a valiant effort to surge up the table with a lift of 146kg on his third trip after failing twice on 142kg.
On Yun-Chol North of North Korea followed a 127kg in snatch with a 160kg in clean and jerk for a total of 287kg to claim gold medal.
Thach Kim Tuan (280kg) of Vietnam and Surahmat Wijoyo (272kg) of Indonesia (119kg) bagged the silver and bronze, respectively.
The Thai team were expecting a medal boost in the absence of weightlifters from powerhouses China and Kazakhstan, who have been banned from international events for doping.
Yesterday’s results indicate that they are also likely to face stiff resistance from other nations, including North Korea and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (Tawa) has set a humble target of winning one gold medal although it has fielded two Olympic champions in Sopita Tanasan and Sukanya Srisurat.
Also yesterday, Arinadtha Chavatanont, Apisada Bannagijsophon, Chalermcharn Yotviriyapanit and Pakjira Thongpakdi combined to claim the third bronze of the day for Thailand, finishing third in the team dressage competition of the equestrian event.
The Thai quartet totalled 66.715 points to follow winners Japan (69.499) and Weightlifter Thunya Sukcharoen in action in the women’s 48kg class. second-placed South Korea (68.440).
After a golden start on Sunday, ensured by the Kingdom’s poomsae trio of Phenkanya Phaisankiattikun, Kotchawan Chomchuen and Ornawee Sirisahakit in women’s team event, it was all quite on taekwondo front for the Thais yesterday.
The face-to-face combat got underway in taekwondo and Phannapa Harnsujin was outclassed 28-12 by South Korea’s Ha Mi-Nah in the women’s 53kg last 16-round.
Ha was later beaten in the final by Su Po-ya of Taiwan.
The Taekwondo Association of Thailand is hoping for another gold medal at the Games.
Panipak Wongpattanakit, winner of several international titles, Olympic silver medallist Tawin Hanprab and Ramnarong Sawekwiharee are their top bets.