Taekwondo star Panipak Wongpattanakit is under no small amount of pressure to deliver the goods at the Paris Olympic Games, so much so that the two-time world champion has resorted to seeking divine help.
Panipak, nicknamed 'Tennis', was Thailand's only champion at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and she is again the country's best bet at Paris 2024.
Add to the burden of expectation the fact that this will the last Olympics for the 26-year-old doyen from Surat Thani and she is eager to leave the international stage on a high note.
Panipak recently made a vow to make merit if she could win a gold medal in Paris, revealing her target for the Games.
She has just recovered from a nagging injury that interfered with her training plans for the Games for a considerable length of time.
Her coach Chatchai Choi, formerly known as Choi Young-Seok, has revealed that all three Thai Paris-bound fighters -- the other two being men's 63kg 2022 Asian Games gold medallist Banlung Tabtimdang and women's 67kg fighter Sasikarn Tongchan -- are fit.
"There is no cause of concern at the moment," said Chatchai, adding: "The only thing our athletes can do now is to train to the best of their ability and wait for their fights.
"Soon we will be leaving for England for the last phase of our training. This will help the athletes get used to the time difference and the weather in Europe."
The taekwondo competition of the Games is scheduled to take place from Aug 7-10, with Panipak celebrating her 27th birthday on the second day of the tournament. She will compete in the 49kg event on the first day of the event.
However, Chatchai, who has been coaching the national taekwondo athletes since 2002, requested the Thai fans "not to heap any more pressure on Tennis".
Panipak, who won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has been the top-ranked fighter in the 49kg division for many years.
She became Thailand's first ever Olympic taekwondo champion in a dramatic fashion at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Up against a little-known Adriana Cerezo Iglesias of Spain in the gold medal match, it seemed the Thai star was heading for a heartbreak.
With the Spaniard ahead in the and only seven seconds left in the final round, the Thai landed a kick to win 11-10.
She then secured the first gold medal of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games for Thailand, defeating China's Guo Qing in the women's 49kg final packed with drama and a dose of controversy.
The 26-year-old from Surat Thani rallied from 6-0 down in the final round to beat the home athlete 12-9 for a 2-1 win.
The top-seeded Thai had won the first round 7-6 and Guo took the second 2-1.
In the third round, the Chinese raced to a 6-0 lead when suddenly the score soared to 23-0 in favour of Guo.
The Thai team then protested and after a lengthy review the fight resumed with the Chinese leading 6-0. With about one minute remaining after the restart, Panipak landed four consecutive head kicks for a 12-6 advantage to effectively end the contest.
When the time comes, Panipak, given that she is the defending champion and boasts an enviable record, will be the public enemy No.1 in the eyes of every other competitor in her weight category.
Banlung, who will be taking part in the 68kg event of the Olympics, shot to prominence when he added the second taekwondo gold medal to the Thai haul at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Lanky Banlung was in top form as he posted a 2-0 triumph over Iran's Alireza Hosseinpour in the title showdown.
Sasikarn is no newcomer to the international stage. She has a number of international titles to her credit and is capable of beating anyone on her day.
Fighters from 60 countries will be taking part in the taekwondo contests of the 2024 Olympic Games.
