Nagoya: Thailand’s Puripol Boonson capped a dominant Asian Games campaign by matching the Asian record in the men’s 200m on Sunday, clocking 19.88 seconds to complete the sprint double at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
The 20-year-old had already underlined his credentials as the fastest man at the Games by winning the 100m in a Games-record 9.90 seconds on Friday. Two nights later, he produced another statement performance, becoming only the second Asian sprinter to run 19.88 in the 200m.
Puripol’s time equalled the continental record set by China’s Xie Zhenye in 2019. It also fulfilled a target the Thai had openly identified after his semi-final run the previous evening.
Having eased to a Games record of 20.10 seconds in the 200m semi-finals on Saturday, Puripol said Xie’s 19.88 was the mark he had in his sights. In the final, he went even faster, matching it on a rain-soaked track at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
Starting from lane eight, Puripol quickly established separation from the field and was never seriously challenged. He crossed the line in 19.88, finishing more than half a second ahead of China’s Huang Youwen, who took silver in 20.45. Japan’s Mizukubo Soshi claimed bronze in 20.56.
The performance completed a sweep of the men’s 100m and 200m titles for Puripol, who had arrived in Nagoya seeking to improve on his 100m silver from the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022.
His 100m campaign had already included three Games-record runs. He clocked 9.91 in the semi-finals before lowering the mark again in the final with 9.90, finishing ahead of Oman’s Ali Al Balushi and Malham Al Balushi.
Puripol then carried that momentum into the 200m, first lowering the 12-year-old Games record in the heats before producing the continental-record-equalling performance in the final.
At 20, Puripol leaves Aichi-Nagoya with two individual sprint golds and a place alongside Xie in the Asian record books.
(IANS)
