Sports

Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon

Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post

Sport: Weightlifting
Date of Birth: May 29, 1984
Nationality: Thai

Medals
Gold: 2008 Beijing Games
Silver: 2005 World Championships Doha

In brief: This Nakhon Sawan native almost failed to make it to the Beijing games after suffering an elbow injury at the 2007 World Championships in Chiang Mai.

Prapawadee was not selected for the Athens games in 2004 because the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association preferred Udomporn Polsak, who went on to become Thailand�s first female Olympic champion.

At the recent Beijing Olympics, Prapawadee lifted 95 kilogrammes to win the gold medal in the woman�s 53 kilogramme category.

�It was like a clear sky after a rain storm,� the 24-year-old champ said after her win in Beijing.

Official website: http://www.iwf.net