Incheon: Thailand are likely to meet their target of winning 11 gold medals at the 17th Asian Games after Amanda Carr won a cycling event yesterday.
Thailand’s Amanda Carr celebrates winning the women’s BMX title. Pattarapong Chatpattara sill
Her triumph pushed Thailand's gold medal tally to nine with three days of competition remaining.
Thai officials hope their athletes will bring home 11 gold medals from Incheon to match their success at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
The Thais are heavy favourites to win golds in the men's and women's regu sepak takraw events and in contention in a couple of other sports including taekwondo and athletics.
American-Thai Amanda, who arrived in Incheon two days before the Oct 19 opening ceremony, took gold in the women's BMX motos after beating second-placed Lu Yan and Peng Na, both of China.
"Thanks for support from the Thai people particularly those in Udon Thani," said the 24-year-old.
"I was confident that I would win gold. My next goal is to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.''
Amanda failed to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
It was the Thai Cycling Association's second gold medal of the Incheon Games after Jutatip Maneephan won the women’s road race.
Unfortunately, Thailand failed to get gold in taekwondo yesterday when favourite Panipak Wongpattanakit and former world champion Rangsiya Nisaisom were defeated in the semi-finals and had to settle for bronze medals.
Youth Olympic gold medallist Panipak lost 5-4 to Lin Wan Ting of Taiwan in the women's 46kg while Rangsiya was defeated by Lee Ah-reum of South Korea 5-1 in the women’s 57kg.
Rangsiya, who won the world title in South Korea in 2011, said she was sad that she could not reach the final.
Panipak, 17, said that she gave her all but the opponent was much better in defence.
Pimol Srivikorn, president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, said Panipak needed more experience.
"She is still young and has a bright future," he said.
Akkarin Kitwijanr (men’s 63kg) and Chetrapee Tangjai (men’s 68kg) will be in action today.
Also today, the Thai women's 4x100m relay team will be trying to defend their title.
The quartet are Phatson Jaksuninkorn, Phensri Chairoek, Tassaporn Wannakit and Nongnuch Sanrat with Phensri and Tassaporn competing in their first Asian Games.
The Thai men's 4x100m relay team of Ruttanapon Sowan, Aphisit Promkaew, Jirapong Meenapra and Kritsada Namsuwan will also be in action today.
They trained in Germany for two months and hoped to do better than their third place in Guangzhou.
In yesterday's action in athletics, Natta Nachan and Saowalak Pettong finished seventh and eighth in the women's javelin throw.
In the women's triple jump, Thitima Muangjan was sixth although she managed a personal best of 13.68m.