Pilin Tachakittiranan (Thai: ไพลิน เตชะกฤตธีระนันท์; born June 14, 1983) is a Thai former swimmer, who specialized in freestyle and butterfly events.[1] She is a two-time Olympian (2000 and 2004) and a multiple-time age-group record holder in all freestyle distances (except 1500 m). Regarded as Thailand's top female swimmer, she has won a total of five gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games (2003 and 2005).

Pilin Tachakittiranan
Personal information
Full namePilin Tachakittiranan
National team Thailand
Born (1983-06-14) 14 June 1983 (age 40)
Bangkok, Thailand
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, butterfly
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing Thailand
Southeast Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2003 Hanoi 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2003 Hanoi 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2003 Hanoi 800 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2005 Manila 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2005 Manila 4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Hanoi 200 m butterfly

Tachakittiranan made her first Thai team, as a 17-year-old teen, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. There, she failed to advance into the succeeding round in any of her individual events, finishing forty-fifth in the 50 m freestyle (27.31), thirtieth in the 200 m freestyle (2:05.88), and thirty-ninth each in the 100 m freestyle (58.69) and 400 m freestyle (4:29.28).[2][3][4][5]

At the 2003 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tachakittiranan dominated the pool for Thailand by claiming a total of three gold medals in the 200, 400, and 800 m freestyle.[6][7]

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Tachakittiranan shortened her swimming program, focusing only on the 200 and 400 m freestyle. She posted FINA B-standard entry times of 2:06.19 (200 m freestyle) and 4:21.67 (400 m freestyle) from the SEA Games.[8][9] On the second day of the Games, Tachakittiranan placed thirty-fourth overall in the 400 m freestyle. Swimming in heat one, she picked up a third seed by nearly two seconds behind winner Paola Duguet of Colombia in 4:23.62.[10][11] In her second event, 200 m freestyle, Tachakittiranan ended her Olympic run with a thirty-fifth-place effort from the preliminaries. She posted a lifetime best of 2:05.29 to lead the first heat against Chinese Taipei's Yang Chin-Kuei and Kazakhstan's Yuliya Rissik.[12][13]

References edit

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Pilin Tachakittiranan". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Heat 5" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 165. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 100m Freestyle Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 174. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 200m Freestyle Heat 3" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 183. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 400m Freestyle Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 189. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Yeo, Sirisanont and Lim Lead Southeast Asian Games With Three Gold Medals Apiece". Swimming World Magazine. 9 December 2003. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Thailand Continues to Dominate Southeast Asian Games". Swimming World Magazine. 10 December 2003. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Swimming – Women's 200m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 1)" (PDF). Athens 2004. Omega Timing. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  9. ^ "Swimming – Women's 400m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 1)" (PDF). Athens 2004. Omega Timing. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Women's 400m Freestyle Heat 1". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  11. ^ Thomas, Stephen (15 August 2004). "Women's 400 Freestyle Prelims: France's Manaudou Powers to 4:06.76 to Lead a Fast, Wide-Open Field for the Final". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  12. ^ "Women's 200m Freestyle Heat 1". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 16 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  13. ^ Thomas, Stephen (16 August 2004). "Women's 200 Freestyle, Prelims Day 3: Dana Vollmer Stakes Her Claim as Fastest Qualifier, Benko Also Through to Evening Round". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.