Thailand’s men’s team sprint squad claimed gold at the Track Asia Cup 2026 yesterday, posting the fastest qualifying time before a violent downpour forced officials to abandon the final and decide medals on qualification times alone.
The trio of Jai Angsuthasawit, Norasetthada Bunma and Yuenyong Phetcharat clocked 1min 01.753sec in qualifying at the Huamark Velodrome, comfortably the quickest of the field and enough to send them through to face Hong Kong, who had qualified second in 1:02.930.
However, with rain lashing the outdoor track, Australian chief commissaire Matthew Wright ruled conditions unsafe and cancelled the head-to-head final, awarding gold to Thailand on the strength of their qualifying run. Hong Kong took silver, with India claiming bronze in 1:04.078.
The win adds 300 UCI world ranking points to Thailand’s tally, lifting the national team from 1,755 to 2,055 points and up one place to 14th in the world, overtaking Colombia.
In the women’s team sprint, Thailand’s Aphitsara Srimongkhon, Natthaporn Aphimote and Kawinnad Kherthong took bronze in 1:13.800, behind South Korea’s Sangju Cycling team, who won gold in 1:11.102, and Hong Kong, who claimed silver.
Elsewhere, Jutatip Maneephan added a silver in the women’s omnium after the four-discipline event — scratch race, tempo race, elimination race and points race — was curtailed after three rounds because of the weather. Singapore’s Valencia Tan topped the standings on 112 points to take gold, with Jutatip second on 108 points and Malaysia’s Nur Aishah Mohd Zubir third, also on 108.
Gen Decha Hemkrasi, president of the Thailand Cycling Association, said heavy afternoon rain had left the track wet and dangerous, prompting Wright to halt racing and settle results on times and standings already recorded.
He said Saturday’s haul of one gold, one silver and one bronze took Thailand’s overall tally to two golds, one silver and two bronze, following Jai’s win in the keirin on the opening day.
Decha added that Jutatip, a specialist in the points race, might have added a further gold had the final leg of the omnium been completed.
Competition continues on Sunday with 10 more gold medals on offer, including the sprint, points race and junior scratch race events at the same venue.