Sophanich born into running family

Sophanich born into running family

JAKARTA (JP): Talent runs in the family. This is certainly
true for Thailand's Vissanu Sophanich. Born into a "running"
family, he has everything he needs to achieve all his goals,
including winning a gold medal in the men's 4x100 meter relay at
the 13th Asian Track and Field Championships.

"My father is still running, while my mother was a soccer
player. My sister and younger brother used to run but they have
stopped," said the Air Force sergeant.

Since beginning to run competitively 11 years ago, Sophanich's
career has taken off, including his gold medal in the 1997
Southeast Asian Games here, which he celebrated by shaving his
head.

It may come as something of a shock to learn that in 1996 he
was a rugby player, before deciding to switch to track and field.
His rocket form since this move has truly been remarkable.

The 26-year-old runner was confident of winning a gold here in
the 4x100m relay, saying his team had a good chance in the
absence of Japan's Koji Ito, the country's anchor who holds the
Asian record of 10 seconds in the 100m.

And responding to this confidence, Thailand won the gold in a
record time of 38.80 seconds thanks to the efforts of Kongdech
Netenee, Ekkachai Janthana, Sitichai Suwonprate and Sophanich.
The old record of 39.03 was set by China in July 1998.

"I'm quite satisfied with the results here. We have been
preparing for a year for the championships," Sophanich said.

With its record time, the relay team qualified for the
Olympics. In the biggest athletics event in the world, Sophanich
and Reanchai Seeharwong, who had to withdraw from the
championships due to a hamstring injury, will anchor the team.

"Our target in the Olympics is to sharpen our best time. We
don't know how far can we go there, but we just want to better
our time. Competing in the Olympics will be a good experience for
us."

In addition to concentrating on athletics, Sophanich's parents
also demanded their son complete his studies at Prasanmitr
University, where he majored in physical education.

Recognized as Thailand's number two sprinter after Seeharwong,
Sophanich's discipline has helped him continually to improve his
times.

Sophanich continues to push himself to improve in the 100m,
his favorite event. Although he failed to win a medal in the 100m
here, finishing fourth, he will continue to race toward his
goals. (yan)