Wassana Winatho
Encyclopedia
Wassana Winatho (born 30 June 1980 in Prachinburi
), also known as Amornrat Winatho and Vassanee Vinatho, is a Thai
track and field
athlete who specialises in the heptathlon
and the 400 metres hurdles
. She represented Thailand at the 2008 Summer Olympics
and has competed at four consecutive editions of the Asian Games
(1998 to 2010).
Having won medals internationally in combined events, sprints, hurdles and relays, she is widely regarded as the most versatile athlete in Southeast Asia. She is the current Thai record
holder in the heptathlon and women's pentathlon
, as well as having a share in the 4×400 metres relay record. Winatho has been particularly successful at the Southeast Asian Games
, where her achievement include three heptathlon titles, three 400 m hurdles title, and a haul of three golds at the 2007 Games
(with a heptathlon Games record of 5889 points). At the continental level, she has won pentathlon medals at the Asian Indoor Games
and the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
.
, twice finishing as runner-up to Irina Naumenko
in 1997 and 1999 in the heptathlon. She made her senior debut at the 1998 Asian Games
and she narrowly missed out on a medal, scoring 5630 points for fourth place. She won the gold medal
in the heptathlon at the 1999 Southeast Asian Games
and won a 400 metres
/400 m hurdles double at the following edition in 2001
. She was fifth in the 400 m hurdles at the 2002 Asian Games
.
The 2003 Afro-Asian Games
provided her an opportunity to compete against top African opposition. Winatho was her region's best performer in the 400 m – taking the bronze medal
behind Estie Wittstock and Doris Jacob
– and won a second bronze in the 400 m hurdles. Another hurdles bronze came at the 2003 Asian Athletics Championships in Manila
. Her final competition of the year was the 2003 Southeast Asian Games
. Her attempt to retain her titles failed as she did not start the 400 m final, but she won silver in the 400 m hurdles behind Malaysia's Noraseela Mohd Khalid
and anchored the Thai women's 4×400 metres relay team to the bronze medal.
Making her fourth straight appearance at the regional event, Winatho took a clear victory in the 400 m hurdles at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games
in November. She also helped the Thai women to second place in the relay. The following February she entered the indoor pentathlon at the 2006 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
on home turf in Pattaya
. She saw off challenges from Olga Rypakova
and Liu Haili
to claim the title with a competition record of 4431 points. The 2006 Asian Games
saw her come fourth in the 400 m hurdles, beaten to the bronze by Mohd Khalid.
She failed to finish the pentathlon at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
, but still won a medal in the relay, anchoring home the Thai team to a national indoor record
of 3:38.25 minutes. Winatho won an unprecedented triple at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
held in Nakhon Ratchasima
. She won golds for Thailand in the 400 m hurdles and the 400 m relay, but her best performance came in the heptathlon. Setting personal bests in every discipline but the 100 metres hurdles, she significantly improved upon her best with a total of 5889 points for a Thai and Games record. This was also the Olympic "B" standard, enabling her to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Winatho produced a pentathlon best and national record of 4184 points at the 2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
, but she was pushed into second place in the final 800 metres
event, ending up with the silver behind Irina Naumenko. She made her debut on the world stage at the Beijing Olympics in August, but she did not manage to finish the event and dropped out in the third round. She returned to regional success the year after, taking the pentathlon title at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
. She also came close to a triple defence at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games
, taking the heptathlon and relay titles, but she was outrun by her Malaysian rival Mohd Khalid in the hurdles. Her appearance in the heptathlon at the 2010 Asian Games
was cut short after she fell in the 100 m hurdles and did not finish the competition.
In addition to her international medals, she has won numerous times at the Thailand National Games
, including a heptathlon and 400 m hurdles double at the 2006 Thailand National Games
, a 100 m hurdles/400 m hurdles/heptathlon triple at the 2007 Thailand National Games
, and an individual title in the long jump
in 2010.
In 2011 SEA Games in Palembang
, Winatho clinched her tenth gold medal after winning the heptathlon, scoring 5448 points. However, an attempt to add another gold in 400mh was prevented by the event specialist Noraseela Mohd Khalid
of Malaysia. She clocked a sb of 58.97s.
Prachinburi
Prachinburi is a town in Thailand, capital of the Prachinburi Province....
), also known as Amornrat Winatho and Vassanee Vinatho, is a Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who specialises in the heptathlon
Heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...
and the 400 metres hurdles
400 metres hurdles
The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly...
. She represented Thailand at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
and has competed at four consecutive editions of the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
(1998 to 2010).
Having won medals internationally in combined events, sprints, hurdles and relays, she is widely regarded as the most versatile athlete in Southeast Asia. She is the current Thai record
Thai records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Thailand maintained by Athletic Association of Thailand .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:A = affected by altitudedisqualified for doping-External links:*...
holder in the heptathlon and women's pentathlon
Women's pentathlon
The pentathlon is a sports contest made up of five events . The women's pentathlon was contested in the Olympics from 1964 until 1980, and it was replaced in the 1984 Games with the heptathlon. It had a different set of events than the ancient Olympic pentathlon...
, as well as having a share in the 4×400 metres relay record. Winatho has been particularly successful at the Southeast Asian Games
Southeast Asian Games
The Southeast Asian Games , is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia...
, where her achievement include three heptathlon titles, three 400 m hurdles title, and a haul of three golds at the 2007 Games
2007 Southeast Asian Games
The 24th Southeast Asian Games was held in Nakhon Ratchasima , Thailand from December 6 to December 15, 2007....
(with a heptathlon Games record of 5889 points). At the continental level, she has won pentathlon medals at the Asian Indoor Games
Asian Indoor Games
The Asian Indoor Games is a multi-sport event held every two years among athletes representing countries from Asia. The games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia. The first games were held in 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand....
and the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
The Asian Indoor Athletics Championships were held for the first time in 2004. Run by the Asian Athletics Association, the championships take place biennially in different cities all over Asia.-Editions:-All-time medal count:- External links :*...
.
Career
Winatho won her first junior medals at the Asian Junior Athletics ChampionshipsAsian Junior Athletics Championships
The Asian Junior Athletics Championships are the Asian championships open for those of age according to junior. It is currently organized by the Asian Athletics Association.-Editions:-Men's records:-Women's records:-References:...
, twice finishing as runner-up to Irina Naumenko
Irina Naumenko
-Achievements:Naumenko was 2nd at the Hexham International Combined Events Meeting in 2005 www.hexham-meeting.org-External links:*...
in 1997 and 1999 in the heptathlon. She made her senior debut at the 1998 Asian Games
Athletics at the 1998 Asian Games
-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
and she narrowly missed out on a medal, scoring 5630 points for fourth place. She won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the heptathlon at the 1999 Southeast Asian Games
1999 Southeast Asian Games
The 20th Southeast Asian Games were held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam from 7 August to 15 August 1999. It was the first time that the country hosted the biennial meet...
and won a 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
/400 m hurdles double at the following edition in 2001
2001 Southeast Asian Games
The 21st Southeast Asian Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 8 September - 17 September 2001. The games were opened by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj in the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. He was introduced by Prime...
. She was fifth in the 400 m hurdles at the 2002 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2002 Asian Games
-Medal summary:-Men's events:-Women's events:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
.
The 2003 Afro-Asian Games
Athletics at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games
The athletics events at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games were held from October 28 to October 30, 2003 at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium. A total of 42 events were contested at the inaugural edition of the Games.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:...
provided her an opportunity to compete against top African opposition. Winatho was her region's best performer in the 400 m – taking the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
behind Estie Wittstock and Doris Jacob
Doris Jacob
Doris Jacob is a Nigerian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.Duah finished seventh in 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1997 World Championships, together with teammates Olabisi Afolabi, Fatima Yusuf and Falilat Ogunkoya...
– and won a second bronze in the 400 m hurdles. Another hurdles bronze came at the 2003 Asian Athletics Championships in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. Her final competition of the year was the 2003 Southeast Asian Games
Athletics at the 2003 Southeast Asian Games
At the 2003 Southeast Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam from 7 to 12 December 2003...
. Her attempt to retain her titles failed as she did not start the 400 m final, but she won silver in the 400 m hurdles behind Malaysia's Noraseela Mohd Khalid
Noraseela Mohd Khalid
Noraseela Mohd Khalid is a Malaysian athlete who specializes in the 400 metres hurdles. Her personal best is 56.02 seconds, achieved in June 2006 in Regensburg....
and anchored the Thai women's 4×400 metres relay team to the bronze medal.
Making her fourth straight appearance at the regional event, Winatho took a clear victory in the 400 m hurdles at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games
Athletics at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games
The athletics events at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games were held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila, Philippines. The Marathon event was run from the Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City, Philippines on December 4, 2005....
in November. She also helped the Thai women to second place in the relay. The following February she entered the indoor pentathlon at the 2006 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
2006 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
The 2006 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships was an international indoor athletics event took place in Pattaya, Thailand, between 10 and 12 February.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Participating nations:...
on home turf in Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
. She saw off challenges from Olga Rypakova
Olga Rypakova
Olga Rypakova is a Kazakhstani track and field athlete. Originally a heptathlete, she switched to focus on the long jump and began to compete in the triple jump after 2007...
and Liu Haili
Liu Haili
Liu Haili is a Chinese heptathlete. She represented her country at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Her personal best score is 6132 points, achieved at the 2005 National Games in Nanjing.-Achievements:-References:*...
to claim the title with a competition record of 4431 points. The 2006 Asian Games
2006 Asian Games
The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
saw her come fourth in the 400 m hurdles, beaten to the bronze by Mohd Khalid.
She failed to finish the pentathlon at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games was held in Macau East Asian Games Dome, Macau, China from 30 October to 1 November 2007.-Medal table:-Men:-Women:-60 metres:Round 1 – October 30Semi-final – October 30...
, but still won a medal in the relay, anchoring home the Thai team to a national indoor record
Thai records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Thailand maintained by Athletic Association of Thailand .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:A = affected by altitudedisqualified for doping-External links:*...
of 3:38.25 minutes. Winatho won an unprecedented triple at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
Athletics at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
The athletics events at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games were held at the Main Stadium in His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5th December 2007 Sports Complex, Nakhon Ratchasima from December 7 to December 11.-Men:-Women's:-Medal table:...
held in Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima or is a city in the north-east of Thailand and gateway to Isan. It is the capital of the Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Nakhon Ratchasima district...
. She won golds for Thailand in the 400 m hurdles and the 400 m relay, but her best performance came in the heptathlon. Setting personal bests in every discipline but the 100 metres hurdles, she significantly improved upon her best with a total of 5889 points for a Thai and Games record. This was also the Olympic "B" standard, enabling her to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Winatho produced a pentathlon best and national record of 4184 points at the 2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
The 2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships was an international indoor athletics event took place in Doha, Qatar, between 14 and 16 February.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Participating nations:...
, but she was pushed into second place in the final 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
event, ending up with the silver behind Irina Naumenko. She made her debut on the world stage at the Beijing Olympics in August, but she did not manage to finish the event and dropped out in the third round. She returned to regional success the year after, taking the pentathlon title at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games was held in My Dinh Indoor Athletics Gymnasium, Hanoi, Vietnam from 31 October to 2 November 2009....
. She also came close to a triple defence at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games
Athletics at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games
At the 2009 Southeast Asian Games, the athletics events will be held at the Laos National Stadium in Vientiane, Laos from 13 December to 17 December...
, taking the heptathlon and relay titles, but she was outrun by her Malaysian rival Mohd Khalid in the hurdles. Her appearance in the heptathlon at the 2010 Asian Games
2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
was cut short after she fell in the 100 m hurdles and did not finish the competition.
In addition to her international medals, she has won numerous times at the Thailand National Games
Thailand National Games
Thailand national games is the sports event of Thailand of national level which are held in an every year interval.-External links:****...
, including a heptathlon and 400 m hurdles double at the 2006 Thailand National Games
2006 Thailand National Games
Name : XXXV Thailand National GamesProvince participating : 76 ProvincesAthletes participating : ---Events : 33 sportsOpening ceremony : September 9, 2006...
, a 100 m hurdles/400 m hurdles/heptathlon triple at the 2007 Thailand National Games
2007 Thailand National Games
Name : XXXVI Thailand National GamesHost Province : Nakhon Si ThammaratProvince participating : 76 ProvincesAthletes participating : --- AthletesEvents : 31 sports...
, and an individual title in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
in 2010.
In 2011 SEA Games in Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
, Winatho clinched her tenth gold medal after winning the heptathlon, scoring 5448 points. However, an attempt to add another gold in 400mh was prevented by the event specialist Noraseela Mohd Khalid
Noraseela Mohd Khalid
Noraseela Mohd Khalid is a Malaysian athlete who specializes in the 400 metres hurdles. Her personal best is 56.02 seconds, achieved in June 2006 in Regensburg....
of Malaysia. She clocked a sb of 58.97s.