Puripol Boonson celebrates at the Southeast Asian Games (© AFP / Getty Images)
Thailand’s Puripol Boonson delighted home fans by completing a gold medal treble and breaking a series of records at the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok (11-16 December).
First, the 19-year-old improved the Asian U20 record and the senior national record to 9.94 in the 100m heats, becoming the joint fifth-fastest U20 athlete in history. The world U20 silver medallist returned to win the final in 10.00 ahead of Indonesia’s Lalu Muhammad Zohri (10.25).
Boonson maintained that momentum in the 200m, setting another Asian U20 record and senior national record of 20.07 to win that title clearly ahead of Singapore’s Marc Brian Louis (20.72).
The gold medal treble was completed when Boonson teamed up with Thawatchai Himaiad, Chayut Khongprasit and Soraoat Dapbang to win the 4x100m for Thailand in a national record and Games record of 38.28 – placing them third on the Asian all-time list. Malaysia finished second, also in a national record of 39.03.
Thailand’s Kieran Tuntivate also achieved three golds, winning the 1500m in 3:47.50, the 5000m in 14:46.38 and the 10,000m in 29:41.81. He completed a 1500m-5000m double in 2023 and a 5000m-10,000m double in 2019, but went one better in Bangkok, achieving his third victory – in the 10,000m – on the final day of athletics competition.
In the women’s sprints, Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira achieved her second successive 100m and 200m double – winning the 100m in 11.36 from Thailand’s Jirapat Khanonta (11.54) and her fourth Southeast Asian Games 200m title in 23.05 ahead of Vietnam’s Le Thi Cam Tu in a national record of 23.14.
The host nation clinched a 4x100m double as Thailand won the women’s final in 43.88 ahead of Vietnam (43.91) and Philippines in a national record of 43.97.
The 400m titles were claimed by Thailand’s Joshua Atkinson (45.13) and Vietnam’s Thi Ngoc Nguyen (52.74), while the 4x400m finals were won by Thailand’s men (3:03.07), Vietnam’s women (3:25.59) and Vietnam in the mixed relay in a 3:15.07 national record.
The men’s pole vault also took place on the final day of athletics competition in Bangkok and that was won by two-time world medallist Ernest John Obiena of Philippines, who clinched his fourth successive Southeast Asian Games title with a 5.70m clearance. He won on countback ahead of Thailand’s Patsapong Amsam-ang with a national record, as both athletes achieved the Games record height.
The women’s pole vault was won by Indonesia’s Diva Renatta Jayadi with a national record of 4.35m.
