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)