Thai Runner Breaks World Record in 80m Hurdles at Masters Championships
Thai masters athlete Paan Somsang Bunyonok won the women's 80m hurdles at the World Masters Championships in South Korea, breaking the world record with a time of 15.61 seconds.
The 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea (August 22–September 3) drew 48 Thai athletes in track and field. On day two, Saiyanet Srisompong finished fifth globally in the women's hammer throw (50-54 age group), while four Thai sprinters advanced to the 100-meter semifinal. In the women's 80-meter hurdles (70-74 age group), Thailand's Paan Somsang Bunyonok—a 2022 long jump world champion and four-time gold medalist at the 2025 Asian Masters Championships in India—competed against nine athletes. Starting from lane 9, Paan began slower than American Rita Hanscom but accelerated after the first two hurdles, overtaking Hanscom. She crossed the finish line first, capturing the world title with a time of 15.61 seconds and breaking the world record. Rita Hanscom (USA) took second place with 16.26 seconds, and Claudia Simpson (USA) finished third with 18.27 seconds.
