Maybe they should spell it Thai-kwondo. Panipak Wongpattanakit became the first Thai to win a second Olympic gold medal when she beat all comers in the women’s taekwondo flyweight division in Paris last week.

Twenty-seven-year-old Panipak previously won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, a bronze medal at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, and has won the World Taekwondo Championship twice. She was Thailand’s sole gold medal winner at the Paris games, but the Kingdom’s athletes also took home three silver and two bronze medals.

Panipak defeated Guo Qing of China in a tough but thrilling match with scores of 6-3, 2-3, and 6-2. According to Reuters, she clinched the victory in the final moments with two staggering kicks to the head that yielded three points each.

At a press conference following her victory, Panipak expressed joy at her achievement but announced that we had witnessed her last fight as she is retiring from the sport, citing injuries to her knee, ankles, and hip.

“I am very excited ... to make this victory for Thailand,” she said, beaming with a smile. “I have a gym in Thailand. If you want to learn with me, come to Thailand.”

Meanwhile, Thai badminton star Khunlavut Vitidsarn captured the silver medal, the first Thai to win an Olympic medal in that sport. In weightlifting, Teerapong Silachai won the silver medal in the men’s 135-pound category for achieving a total of 668 pounds, 291 pounds from snatch lifting, and 377 pounds from clean and jerk lifting. Weeraphon Wichuma, 19-year-old, also won the silver in the 160-pound category.

In women’s boxing, 23-year-old Janjaem Suwannapheng guaranteed herself a bronze medal after being defeated in a decision by controversial opponent Imane Khelif of Algeria in the semifinal round.

Thai female weightlifter Surodchana Khambao also secured a bronze medal in the women’s 108-pound category for making a total of 441 pounds, 194 pounds from snatch lifting, and 247 pounds from clean and jerk lifting.

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