The Surat Thani native successfully defended her title she won in Tokyo three years ago by defeating China’s Guo Qing to become the first person from Thailand to win two gold medals in the Olympics.
Panipak’s historic victory came courtesy of two kicks to her opponent’s head to secure six points and a 6-3 2-3 6-2 win overall.
The showdown against Guo was the culmination of a day of contests for Panipak, although it proved to be the most challenging as all her previous bouts were relatively straight forward, two-round wins.
Following the awards ceremony where Panipak received her gold medal, she confirmed at a press conference that she is now ready to retire, something that had been widely rumoured prior to the tournament.
“I am very excited... to make this victory for Thailand,” Panipak said.
“I have a gym in Thailand,” she told a reporter, adding to laughter: “If you want to learn with me, come to Thailand.”
On a more serious note, Panipak confirmed that a series of niggling injuries that have been affecting her knee, ankle and hip had also contributed to her decision to retire.
NATIONAL TREASURE
The medal success in Paris comes as the perfect birthday gift for Panipak, nicknamed ‘Tennis’, who turns 27 today (Aug 8).
She is regarded as a national treasure in Thailand after she defeated Spain’s Adriana Cerezo Iglesias in dramatic fashion with a last-gasp kick in the women’s 49kg final at the Tokyo Games on July 24, 2021.
In doing so she became the first Thai to win a medal at Tokyo 2020 and also the country’s first-ever gold medallist in taekwondo.
The triumph carried extra significance for Panipak as it allowed her to bury the disappointment of the Rio Olympics in 2016 when she was a pre-tournament favourite but had to settle for bronze.
She almost quit the sport after the heartbreaking result but decided to give herself another chance to fulfil her dream of winning an Olympic gold medal, which she duely achieved in Tokyo.
Panipak is now far and away Thailand’s most successful taekwondo participant of all time, having also won gold medals at the 2015 and 2019 world championships, the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games and four straight Southeast Asian Games, most recently in Cambodia in 2023.
In June last year Panipak made history at the 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Rome, Italy when she won a gold medal in the women’s 49kg class. It was her 10th overall gold in the competition and meant she became the first athlete to achieve the feat.
Following her success at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Panipak was made an ambassador for sport and tourism. On arriving home back in Thailand, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya sent Panipak a bouquet of flowers to recognise her historic win.
Panipak’s success has also been recognised by the press as she has won the best female amateur athlete of the year award as voted by the Sport Writers Association of Thailand (Swat) for four consecutive years (2020-2023). No doubt she will make that five in a row when the ceremony takes place next year.
Displaying an admirable modest nature, Panipak attributes much of her success to her coach Chatchai Choi who has guided her for the past 13 years. The Korean coach, formerly known as Choi Young-Seok before he took Thai citizenship and a new name in 2022, was a key factor in persuading Panipak not to turn her back on the sport after her heartbreak in Rio in 2016.
No doubt the golden girl of Thai sport will be extending an extra special thanks to her coach as she celebrates her birthday and historic athletic success today.
- Additional reporting by the Bangkok Post