Thailand's Puripol Boonson becomes first Southeast Asian sprinter to break 100m 10s barrier
Puripol, 19, clocked 9.94s in his 100m heat at the 2025 SEA Games.
Thailand's Puripol Boonson in action during the men's 100m heats at the 33rd SEA Games on Dec 11. (Photo: Reuters/Chalinee Thirasupa)
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SINGAPORE: Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson made history on Thursday (Dec 11) as he became the first Southeast Asian man to break the 10-second barrier during a 100m heat at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
At the Suphachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok, Puripol, 19, easily qualified for the 100m finals with a time of 9.94s. Singapore sprinter Marc Brian Louis also qualified for the finals, finishing in 10.38s.
Puripol went on to win the final, clocking a flat 10s. Louis missed out on a medal in the finals, placing fourth with a time of 10.32s.
Before the SEA Games, Puripol's previous best 100m time was 10.06s, recorded during the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he won the silver medal.
He overtakes Indonesia's Lalu Muhammad Zohri as the fastest Southeast Asian sprinter. Zohri ran 10.03s in the 2019 Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Osaka.
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