Puripol Boonson

Puripol Boonson (ภูริพล บุญสอน, born 13 January 2006) is a Thai sprinter who specializes in the 100 and 200 metres. His 200 metres time is the Southeast Asian Games record.

2022
Puripol Boonson first exploits took place during the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam where he clinched golds in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events.

On 3 June 2022, he established in Yecheon the National record of 4x100 m in 38.56 s with Chayut Khongprasit, Siripol Punpa and Soraoat Dapbang.

With a national record of 20.19 s (+1.7m/s) run in Almaty (KAZ) on 26 June 2022, he realised the AU20R and AU18R. Becoming the third-best youth performance ever, trailing only Erriyon Knighton and Usain Bolt.

This stellar performance earned him a ticket to the 2022 World Athletics Championships, but the Thai Athletics Federation opted to save him for the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships.

On 2 August 2022, he broke the under-18 World Best Performances of the 100 m with 10.09 s (+0.7 m/s) at the semi-finals of the 2022 World Athletics U20 championships in Cali (Christian Miller of the U.S. recently edged out this record in July 2023, finishing in 10.06 seconds.). He finishes fourth of the final with 10.12 s (+0.8 m/s)

2023
In the unfortunate turn of events at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, Boonson suffered a hamstring injury during the 200 meters final. This setback forced him to withdraw from the competition, subsequently sidelining him from the 2023 Asian U20 Athletics Championships.

Returning to the track gradually after his injury, in July 2023, at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Boonson competed in the 4x100m relay event, winning the gold medal with a time of 38.55 seconds. This outstanding performance not only set a new national record, but also a new championship record.

On 30 September 2023, he competed in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, during the 100m semi-final, he matched the under-18 World Best Performances he had lost earlier in the year, clocking in at 10.06 seconds. In the final, he won the silver with a time of 10.02 seconds, although the wind was too favourable for his record to be officially recognized.

Concerned about a recurrence of his injury, Boonson, despite qualifying for the 200m semi-finals, only covered a few meters before withdrawing from the race. He chose to conserve himself for the 4x100m relay.

In the relay final, he finished in 4th place with a time of 38.81 seconds, just seven hundredths of a second shy of the bronze medal claimed by South Korea.

Achievements
Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Circuit wins

 * World Athletics Continental Tour
 * 2022 (200 m): XXXII Qosanov Memorial