Thai Sprinter Eyes Gold and Record at Nagoya Asian Games
Thai sprinter Phuripol Bunsoan aims to dethrone China's defending champion at the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games while breaking his own record in the 100 metres, where he finished second four years ago.
Phuripol Bunsoan, Thailand's young sprinter, is optimistic about facing the defending Chinese champion at the 20th Asian Games. He hopes to avenge his previous loss and break his own personal record to win gold.
At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou 2022, Chinese runner Xia Shenye won the men's 100 metres gold with a time of 9.97 seconds, narrowly defeating Phuripol, who finished in 10.02 seconds. The official roster for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan (September 19–October 4, 2026) has been released, and Xia Shenye has been confirmed among the 100-metre competitors.
Phuripol said he is excited that the defending champion will be competing again and hopes to settle the score. He aims to break his own record once more. He identified competitors from Malaysia as notable rivals in Southeast Asia, and Japan and Oman as formidable challengers across Asia with strong personal bests. "I'm very confident, but I won't put too much pressure on myself," he said. "We've trained well for this competition and will give our best effort."
"We've been preparing continuously for this Asian Games," he added. "My personal goal is to win gold in both the 100 metres and 200 metres while breaking my own record again. For the 4×100 metres relay, I hope we can win a medal."
Thailand's track and field team will depart for Nagoya on September 19, 2026.
