Published on November 11, 2005

[WEIGHTLIFTING] Plucky Pawina Thongsuk wrote another chapter in Thai weightlifting history on Tuesday when the International Weightlifting Federation on Tuesday named her the Best Female Weightlifter of the Year.

Pawina last month became the first person to win gold medals in three different classes in three years.

In 2003, the 26-year-old Surin-born lifter burst into prominence in the World Championships in Poland to capture the crown in the 69kg event.

She repeated the feat the following year with her awesome showing in the 75kg class in the Olympic Games, winning the hearts of the Thai people by claiming a second gold for the Kingdom. The first gold had been won by team-mate Udomporn Polsak.

Last month, Pawina again showed her class in the Asian Championships in Dubai and as expected, she did not let her supporters down. This time, she amazed everyone by shedding 12kgs in one year to participate in the 63kg class and winning it in style.

Pawina’s tireless dedication and exceptional performances in the past three years were acknowledged on Tuesday when the IWF, the world’s weightlifting-governing body, named her the Best Female Weightlifter of the Year during its General Meeting in Doha, Qatar.

Meanwhile, Thai weightlifters won five medals including three silvers on the opening day of the World Weightlifting Championships in the same city.

In the 48kg event on Wednesday, rising star Pensiri Sae Lao claimed three silvers after lifting 88kg in the snatch, 110kg in the jerk and 198kg in the Olympic Total, while Aree Viratthaworn, bronze medallist in the Olympics last year, claimed the bronze in the snatch with a lift of 85kg.

She finished fourth in the clean and jerk with a below-par 108kg, but fought back strongly to win another bronze in the Olympic Total with a combined lift of 193kg.

Preechachan Wiriyanupappong

The Nation

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