Puripol Wins 200m Gold at Asian Games in 19.88 Seconds
Thai sprinter Puripol Bunsuan won gold in the men's 200 metres at the Asian Games in Nagoya with a time of 19.88 seconds, matching the Asian record and claiming his second gold medal of the Games.
At the 20th Asian Games athletics competition in Nagoya, Puripol Bunsuan of Thailand stole the spotlight in the men's 200 metres final. After setting a new Asian Games record of 20.10 seconds in the semi-finals, Puripol delivered a commanding performance in the final, crossing the finish line in 19.88 seconds to claim the gold medal. His time matches the Asian record held by China's Xia Xueqin and marks the first time Puripol has broken through the 20-second barrier in the 200 metres.
This gold medal is Puripol's second of the Games, following his triumph in the 100 metres. The achievement also makes him the first Thai sprinter to win gold in the 200 metres at the Asian Games in 52 years—a significant milestone for Thai athletics. Puripol will receive 2 million baht per gold medal, totalling 4 million baht so far. With two more events remaining—the men's 4×100 metres relay and the mixed 4×100 metres relay—Puripol has the potential to earn up to 8 million baht in total prize money.