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Sirivimon Pramongkhol

Sirivimon Pramongkhol had a momentous year as the diminutive weightlifter swept three gold medals each at both the World Championships and the Asian Championships in 2023.

Competing in the 45kg division at the World Championships in Saudi Arabia, Sirivimon put on a combined effort of 179kg — 78kg in snatch and 101kg in clean & jerk — as she topped the podium ahead of Rosina Randafiarison of Madagascar (170kg) and Cansu Bektas of Turkey (162kg).

At the Asian Championships in South Korea, Sirivimon won with a total effort of 177kg — 77kg in snatch and 100kg in clean & jerk — as she finished ahead of Rose Jean Ramos of the Philippines and Siti Nafisatul Hariroh of Indonesia.

While Sirivimon is no stranger to success, 2023 has so far been the most fruitful year of her career that began nearly two decades ago.

At 12 years of age, Sirivimon was spotted by Sakchai Thitajaree, a teacher at Chon Buri Sports School, who encouraged her to take up the sport seriously. Sirivimon subsequently enrolled at the school to continue her studies while also developing her skills until she graduated after completing Matayom 6.

Sirivimon was an outstanding talent and became a member of the national youth team when she was 14. Two years later, she competed at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010 and took home a silver medal.

In 2012, Sirivimon earned a place in the senior national team to compete in her first Olympic Games in London but missed out on a medal after finishing in fourth place.

She did not qualify for Rio 2016 and Thai weightlifters were not allowed to compete at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.

In 2022, Sirivimon came back with a strong performance to win three silver medals at the World Championships in Bogota, Colombia.

As the Paris Olympics beckon, Sirivimon admitted she is hoping to compete at the Games for the second time 12 years after her making her debut in the quadrennial tournament.

"It's still a dream to compete at the Olympics. But it's also better to give your best one tournament at a time," she said after returning home from the 2024 Asian Championships in Uzbekistan last month — this time with three silver medals.

From a humble beginning in her hometown of Chon Buri, Sirivimon is now regarded as one of the most successful Thai weightlifters due to a huge amount of hard work, perseverance and determination.

Currently in the middle of her gruelling training for the upcoming IWF World Cup in Phuket, which is the last major tournament before Paris 2024, Sirivimon is ready to push herself to the limit on the platform again.

“ Sirivimon is regarded as one of the most successful Thai weightlifters due to a huge amount of hard work, perseverance and determination. ”
Marisa Chearavanont
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Paetongtarn Shinawatra
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