Thai sprinter Nongnuch Sanrat lived up to her reputation as the Kingdom's fastest woman, while the Royal Thai Army and Royal Thai Air Force teams won the overall men's and women's titles to take the prestigious King's Cup trophies on the final day of the Thailand Open King's Cup Track and Field Championships yesterday.

The speedy Nongnuch, who anchored the RTAF team to victory in the women's 4x100m relay on the opening day at the Thammasat Rangsit Main Stadium, led from start to finish in the women's 100m.

The 23-year-old from Phetchabun crossed the line yesterday in a below-par time of 12.21 seconds, a far-cry from her record of 11.63 seconds in 2004. Team-mate Oranuch Klomdee was 0.05 slower in second place, while Sangwal Chaksunil from the TOT-T Team had to be content with the bronze.

"My time was not that good today because we all had to run into a strong wind. Also, I did not train properly or prepare for this tournament," said Nongnuch.

"A bunion on my right foot also took its toll. However, I'm happy with the gold I won this time. Last year I won a silver in this event," said the fourth-year student at Valai Alongkorn University.

Foreign athletes took the lion's share of the medals yesterday, winning nine of the 13 gold contested. Sri Lanka's Sampath Weerasinghe relegated defending champion and the SEA Games record-holder Theerayuth Pilakong of Thailand to second in the men's triple jump, the Sri Lankan leaping 15.91m for the gold with Theerayuth only one centimetre behind.

Sri Lanka won their second gold in the women's 5,000m when HM Vijitha Kumari Herath led from the start and crossed the line 130m in front of her nearest rival.

The China Lining Team also won two gold medals yesterday. Lin Yitang took the men's 800m, while the tall Tao Cheng won the men's 5,000m. He overcame a scorching sun and a strong challenge from two-time SEA Games champion Boonthung Srisang of Thailand to win the gold in 15.45.05. The Thai mini-marathoner picked up the and finished only 0.15 seconds behind.

Chinese-born Singaporean Du Xianhui won the women's shot put, with Taiwan's Lin Chia-Ying picking up the silver. Another Chinese-born athlete, Juthaporn Krasaeyan who competes for Thailand, took home the bronze medal.

Kazakhstan made a clean sweep of both gold medals on offer in the men's and women's 4x400m.

Taiwan's Meng Hsiang-Tsu collected 6,790 points to claim the men's decathlon title, while the superb quartet of Fahad Ao Jabri, Juma Al Jabri, Abdullai Sald Al Sooli and Musabah Shinain Al Masoudi - who are all training for December's Asian Games in Doha - gave Oman the gold medal in the men's 4x100m relay yesterday.

Meanwhile, Thai sprinter Wasana Vinatho won her third gold of the meet in the women's 100m hurdles. Thailand's Thitima Muangchan, who set a tournament record of 13.49m in the women's triple jump last year, retained her title after a below-standard 13.06m. Another Thai, Buathip Boonprasert, was also in fine form, beating China's Zhao Hui and Sri Lankan Guna Wardana to win the women's 800m event.

No records was broken yesterday but a total of nine tumbled during the four-day competition.

HM the King's Representative, Privy Councillor Plakorn Suwannarat was the guest of honour at yesterday's closing ceremony and presented the King's Cup trophies to the Royal Thai Army team, the overall men's champions, and to the Royal Thai Air Force, the overall women's winners.

Preechachan Wiriyanupappong

The Nation

Pathum Thani