Para-taekwondo star Khwansuda "Khwan" Phuangkitcha won Thailand's first bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Thursday by defeating Iran's Maryam Abdollahpour Deroei in the women's 47-kilogramme K44 category, which features athletes with limitations in one arm or leg.
The game was neck-and-neck in the five-minute round, ending in a 4-4 tie. The two fighters advanced to the golden round, where no points were scored.
World number three Khwansuda, aged 23, eventually won a bronze through superior points and outstanding fighting techniques, marking Thailand’s first medal in the 17th Summer Paralympic Games, held in Paris.
"I wish I could do better. I want to thank everyone for the encouragement," the Prachuap Khiri Khan native said tearfully in an interview after the match. "I will come back in the next four years to win the gold medal."
In the quarterfinals, Khwansuda defeated Ekici Nurcihan of Turkey 8-4 before losing 3-5 to Uzbekistan's Ziyodakhon Isakova, setting her up to compete for the bronze.
