ATHLETICS
WASSANA WHIZZES
WASSANA WINATHO clears a hurdle on her way to gold in the women’s 400m hurdles.
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Thai cheers hearts with double gold
The rain in the afternoon came as a dampener. That, however, failed to deter Thai Wassana Vinatho from capturing two gold medals in the Thailand Open King's Cup Track and Field Championships at Thammasat Rangsit Main Stadium yesterday. Wassana, the 400m hurdles gold medallist in the SEA Games, proved again that she is the best in the Kingdom. She clocked one minute, 02.36 seconds to win her first gold in the meet. The 25-year-old from Kanchanaburi, a triple gold medallist in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur five years ago, struck another gold barely half an hour later in the heptathlon event with 4,825 points. The one-hour rain forced the organisers to postpone a few events. And when it stopped, the weather condition suited the participants, especially the overseas athletes. It was a clean sweep for the foreigners in the men's discus yesterday. Singapore's Jame Wong, gold medallist at the last year's SEA Games, was in record-shattering mood to bag the gold with a throw of 54.30m. China Lining Team's Jia Xin and Taiwanese Wang Yao-Hui also broke the existing records after throwing 51.62m and 51.35m to finish second and third. Wansawang Sawasdee, Thailand record-holder and second in the SEA Games in the Philippines, produced a disappointing throw of 50.50m. It was a similar script in the women's discus when China Lining Team's Xue Junma smashed Thai Juthaporn Krasaeyan's mark of 49.97m with a 58.54m heave, an incredible result even bettering the mark of the men in the competition. Taiwanese Lin Chiang-Chu finished second with a throw of 46.92m. Thai Siwaporn Varapiang claimed the bronze with a throw of 46.70m, while the SEA Games and Thailand record-holder Juthaporn came a disappointing fourth after throwing 42.62m. Foreign athletes also claimed both gold medals in the men's and women's 400m event. Oman's Mohammed Salim Vhi landed the men's title after clocking 47.25 seconds, while Sri Lankan Menaka Wickramasinghe took the women's crown with a 55.13 seconds finish. In the men's 400m hurdles, Taiwanese Chung Chen-Kang clocked 52.58 seconds to emerge a runaway winner, while team-mate Wu Wen-Chien also led the visitors' assault in the 3,000m steeplechase. Wu clocked the fastest time of eight minutes, 53.36 seconds to grab the gold medal, with Sri Lankan WMC Wijekoon and Kuwaiti Omar Alrasheedi coming in second and third in 8.57.00 and 9.08.51 minutes respectively. High jumper Nungruethai Chaipetch, who had a personal best of 1.91m in 2004, remained unbeaten in the country. Nungruethai's clearance of 1.86m was just enough to get her a gold. "Not too bad. I am going through ups and downs. I think most jumpers go through this situation. I'm still happy with it, anyway," she said. Sompong Soambankruy cleared 4.80m in the men's pole vault to take gold. In the morning, Thailand men's 20km walk record-holder Sakchai Samutkao, who failed to finish last year, regained his title with a time of one hour, 44.40 minutes, while Veeraphan Anantachai, bronze medallist at the SEA Games in the Philippines, claimed silver. Preechachan Wiriyanupappong The Nation Pathum Thani
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