Weightlifting bronze, gold and sadness as medalist's grandmother dies watching

08 สิงหาคม 2559

Army athlete Sinphet Kruaithong won a bronze medal Monday morning to add to Sopita Tanasan's gold the day before. He did not know however that his grandmother died watching the competition.

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Afternoon update

It was joy mixed with sadness for Sinphet Kruaithong and his family:

Grandma dies watching Sinphet win bronze

Thailand's bronze medallist Sinphet Kruaithong celebrates with his medal ont the podium after the men's 56kg weightlifting event at the Rio 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro on August 7, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / GOH Chai Hin

SURIN – The 82-year-old grandmother of Olympic weightlifting medallist Sinphet Kruaithong collapsed and then died while watching him win a bronze at the 2016 Olympics early on Monday morning.

A crowd of local people had gathered in front of the television at the home of the Thai weightlifter in Ban Phon Muang of Chumphon Buri district of this northeastern province to cheer him on.

They included Sinphet's father Thongdam Kruaithong, 56, mother Chan Kruaithong, 48, and grandmother Subin Khongthap, 82.

While watching the live telecast of the contest from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mrs Subin collapsed during the excitement as Sinphet competed in the 56-kilogramme division.

She briefly regained consciousness about 5 minutes later and was rushed to Chumphon Buri Hospital, where she was pronounced dead about an hour afterward. She did not see her grandson win the medal a short time later.

Morning story

Bronze follows gold as weightlifters shine in Rio

Reuters and Kittipong Thongsombat

Army athlete Sinphet Kruaithong won a bronze medal Monday morning (Thailand time) in the second day of competition in the 2016 Olympics.

Sinphet had combined lifts of 289kg in the 56kg division, finishing behind China's Long Qingquan and Om Yun Chol of North Korea.

Thailand still has six other lifters in Rio and Boosaba Yodbangtoey, president of the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association, believes they can all win medals.

Meanwhile, 2012 Olympic silver medallist Pimsiri Sirikaew and Sukanya Srisurat will both take part in the women's 58kg category tomorrow morning, Thai time.

Sopita Tanasan, of Thailand, center, listens to her country's national anthem after winning the gold medal in the women's 48kg weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. At right is bronze medal winner Hiromi Miyake, of Japan. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Sopita dedicates gold to King and Queen

Kittipong Thongsombat

Weightlifter Sopita Tanasan dedicated her triumph to Their Majesties the King and Queen as well as her late father after winning Thailand's first gold medal of the Rio Games on Saturday.

The Chumphon native was in a class of her own when she snatched 92kg and lifted 108kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 200kg – 8kg better than Sri Wahuni Agustiani of Indonesia, who managed 85kg and 107kg for a total of 192kg.

Nicknamed 'Nan', the 22-year-old Sopita powered her way into the country's sporting history as she ended the Kingdom's eight-year wait for an Olympic gold on her Games debut and in her first major tournament in the 48kg division.

She is Thailand's eighth Olympic champion and fourth Games gold medallist in the sport after Udomporn Polsak and her idol Pawina Thongsuk in 2004 and Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakool in 2008.

"I would like to dedicate the medal to Their Majesties the King and Queen," said the newly-crowned Olympic champion.

"The win is also for my late father who did not have the chance to see my success. I hope he saw my victory from above."

In fact, her father Surasak saw her compete for Thailand only once before passing away.

Sopita will get 10 million baht in bonus from the National Sports Development Fund as well as huge sums from private companies which are worth about 12 million baht at the moment.

Sopita – who hails from a family of boxers – was in control throughout the competition at the 6,000-capacity Riocentro Pavilion 2, and went into the clean and jerk leading by 7kg.

Her only stumble came when she failed to lift 110kg on her final attempt of the night.

In a last-ditch bid to snatch the gold, Indonesia's Agustiani twice tried to lift 115kg to overtake Sopita.

She failed in her first try and Sopita celebrated by hugging her coaches in the green room.

"I didn't know what to think. I didn't think she would be able to lift it," Sopita said.

Sopita's success was a huge relief for Thailand's sporing authorities after the country had failed to win a gold medal for the first time since 1996 at the London Games.

Sopita had wanted to follow the footsteps of her father who was a national boxer. However, she was persuaded by her mentor at Bangkok Sports School to try weightlifting in 2006 and began representing Thailand in 2010.

Following the Olympic success, Sopita said she wanted to become an army officer.