Lao athlete Souksavanh Tonsacktheva is scheduled to race in heat six of the men's 100-metre sprint at the Beijing Olympic Games today.


Souksavanh Tonsacktheva
The preliminary round of the 100m event consists of 10 heats. The first three sprinters in each heat and the next 10 fastest sprinters in the preliminary round will advance to the second round.

Souksavanh's heat is scheduled to commence at 9.25am today, Lao time.

Souksavanh, aged 20, has a personal best (PB) of 11.26 seconds. He will race in lane nine, and wear number 2325 on his jersey.

Souksavanh will compete against other seven sprinters: Kai Hu of China (current personal best 10.24 seconds), Ali Shareef of the Maldives (PB 11.17 seconds), Abdullah Al Sooli of Oman (PB 10.55 seconds), Tyrone Edgar of Great Britain (PB 10.06 seconds), Darvis Patton of the United States (PB 9.89 seconds), Ronald Pognon of France (PB 9.99 seconds) and Desislav Gunev of Bulgaria (PB 10.27 seconds).

The Olympic record holder in this event is Canadian Donovan Bailey with a time of 9.84 seconds. The world record holder is Jamaican Usain Bolt, with a time of 9.72 seconds.

Lao athlete Philaylack Sackpaseuth will compete in the women's 100m sprint on Saturday.

The women's 100m competition is divided into nine heats for the qualifying round. The draw to decide the starting list in each heat will be made this morning.

At 5.33pm today (Lao time), Lao swimmer Vilayphone Vongphachanh, 22, will swim in heat two of the women's 50m freestyle event.

Vilayphone competed in the 50m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics and recorded a time of 36.44 seconds. She improved this time at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne , Australia , recording a time of 35.44 seconds.

Another Lao swimmer, Thephithak Chindavone, competed yesterday evening in heat two of the men's 50m freestyle.

By Sisay Vilaysack
(Latest Update August 15, 2008)