Puripol Boonson – Thailand's New Sprint Star
October 19, 2026Puripol Boonson, also known by his nickname Bew, was born on January 13, 2006, in Surin Province in northeastern Thailand. He attended St. Raphael School in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok, for his primary education. It was there that he began playing handball, although he showed little natural talent for the sport. His teacher, Thanakrit Sriwattana, noticed his speed, however, and encouraged him to take up athletics. In 2016, coaches from Thailand's athletics federation took notice of him, and he went on to continue his studies and athletic training at Assumption College Samut Prakan.
Image: Puripol Boonson just after winning the 100 meters at the SEA Games in Bangkok on December 11, 2025. Image source: Chensiyuan / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Puripol's Breakthrough
His major breakthrough came in 2022 at the SEA Games in Hanoi. Puripol won gold in both the 100 and 200 meters, as well as in the 4×100-meter relay. He was just sixteen at the time and clocked 20.37 seconds in the 200 meters, setting a Games record. That same year, he also won the 100 and 200 meters at the Asian Youth Athletics Championships.
An injury forced him to withdraw from the 200 meters at the 2023 SEA Games, but later that year he secured a silver medal in the 100 meters at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Further success followed in 2024. Puripol took silver in the 100 meters and bronze in the relay at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima. At the Paris Olympics that same year, he reached the semifinals of the 100 meters.
In 2025, he continued to collect international medals. He finished second in the 100 meters at both the Asian Athletics Championships and the World University Games. At the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, he reached the semifinals with 10.17 seconds. In December that year, he made history at the SEA Games in Bangkok. Clocking 9.94 seconds in the heats, he became the first male sprinter from Southeast Asia to run the 100 meters in under ten seconds. He went on to win gold in the 100 and 200 meters, as well as the relay.
Image: Puripol Boonson during the 200-meter final at the SEA Games in Bangkok on December 13, 2025. Image source: Chensiyuan / CC BY-SA 4.0.
World-Class Times
At the Asian Games in Nagoya in September 2026, Puripol took another major step forward in his career. He won the 100 meters in 9.90 seconds, becoming Asia's second-fastest sprinter of all time, behind China's Su Bingtian. In the 200 meters, he clocked 19.88 seconds, matching the Asian record and becoming the first Thai sprinter to break the 20-second barrier in the event.
A Bright Future Ahead
Puripol is still young and has plenty of room to improve. His personal bests compare favorably on the international stage, but competition among the world's top sprinters is naturally fierce. For comparison, the world records stand at 9.58 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.19 seconds in the 200 meters. Both were set by Usain Bolt.
The next major milestones will be the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. If he continues to develop and manages to stay reasonably healthy, he has a good chance of becoming a sprinter who can compete among the very best in the world.
Puripol Boonson: Facts and Figures
• Name: Puripol Boonson – Thai: ภูริพล บุญสอน
• Nickname: Bew – Thai: บิว
• Date of birth: January 13, 2006
• Place of birth: Surin Province, northeastern Thailand (Isan)
• Nationality: Thai
• Events: 100 meters and 200 meters
• Personal best, 100 meters: 9.90 seconds (September 25, 2026)
• Personal best, 200 meters: 19.88 seconds (September 27, 2026)
• Profile: Puripol on World Athletics
• Instagram: Puripol on Instagram
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