Puripol Boonson Wiki: Age, Height, Net Worth, Asian Games MVP 2026 & Biography
Puripol Boonson (Thai: ภูริพล บุญสอน), nicknamed “Bew”, is a Thai sprinter who has become the fastest man in Asia. At the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games he completed the 100m–200m sprint double — winning the 100m in a Games-record 9.90 seconds and the 200m in 19.88, equalling the Asian record — and was named the Male MVP of the Games. He is the first Southeast Asian sprinter ever to break the 10-second barrier. As of October 2026, he is 20 years old.
Puripol Boonson — Quick Facts
| Age | 20 years (born 13 January 2006) |
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Birthplace | Surin, Thailand |
| Occupation | Sprinter (100m / 200m) |
| Known for | Asian Games 2026 Male MVP; 9.90s 100m; Asian 200m record co-holder |
Early Life
Puripol Boonson was born on 13 January 2006 in Surin province, northeastern Thailand, and was raised in Samut Prakan near Bangkok. He did not start out as a sprinter — as a schoolboy he played handball, only switching to athletics at around eight to ten years old after coaches spotted his raw speed. The move proved inspired. By his mid-teens he was already rewriting Thai sprinting records, and Thai media had given him the nickname “Angel Bew”.
Career
Boonson’s international breakthrough came at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, where at fifteen he won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4×100m relay. In 2022 he posted a 10.06-second 100m — an under-18 world best at the time — and a 20.19-second 200m that ranked among the fastest youth marks in history, drawing comparisons with the teenage exploits of Usain Bolt. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 he took 100m silver in 10.02 seconds.
The road was not smooth. A hamstring injury at the 2023 SEA Games forced him out of the 200m final and cost him months of development. He rebuilt through 2024, carrying Thailand’s flag at the Paris Olympics — where he reached the 100m semi-finals — and winning 100m silver at the World Under-20 Championships in Lima, the first Thai athlete ever to medal in that category.
December 2025 was the watershed. At the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Boonson clocked 9.94 seconds in the 100m heats — becoming the first Southeast Asian in history to run under ten seconds — then won the final in 10.00 and added the 200m title in 20.07 and the 4×100m relay crown. All three winning marks set new Thai national records, and World Athletics’ season review noted the breakthrough as one of the year’s standout Asian performances. In April 2026 he won 60m gold at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, and through the summer he sharpened his form on the Asian circuit, including a 200m victory at the New Taipei City Athletics Open.
Then came Nagoya. On 25 September 2026, Boonson broke the 10-second barrier three times in a single day at the Asian Games: 9.95 in the heats, 9.91 in the semi-finals (a Games record), and 9.90 in the final — another Games record and the second-fastest 100m ever run by an Asian. Two days later he completed the double, winning the 200m in 19.88 seconds to break his own Games record and equal the Asian record. He added a silver in the mixed 4×100m relay, and in a widely praised gesture gave up his place on the relay podium to teammate Chayut Kongprasit, who had run the heats. On 4 October the Olympic Council of Asia named him Male MVP of the Games, with a $25,000 prize. He has already set his sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, telling reporters the MVP award gave him confidence he could reach the podium there.
Personal Life
Boonson keeps his private life out of the spotlight. His parents’ names have not been public, and he is reported to be single with no children. His listed personal bests — 9.90 for 100m and 19.88 for 200m, both set at Nagoya 2026 — also stand as Thai national records, and he co-holds the Asian 200m record with China’s Xie Zhenye. Before his senior breakthrough he was already a decorated junior: golds at the 2022 Asian U18 Championships and a 100m silver at the 2024 World U20 Championships in Lima. The fan site TheCityCeleb estimates his net worth in the $100,000–$500,000 range, though this is an unverified estimate and no official figure exists. With the MVP trophy, national records and a growing profile across Asia, he enters the run-up to Los Angeles 2028 as Thailand’s brightest Olympic medal hope on the track.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Puripol Boonson?
He is 20 years old, born on 13 January 2006 in Surin, Thailand.
What is Puripol Boonson’s 100m record?
9.90 seconds, set while winning gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya — an Asian Games record and Thai national record.
How tall is Puripol Boonson?
1.82 metres (6 ft 0 in).
What is Puripol Boonson’s net worth?
No official figure exists. The fan site TheCityCeleb estimates $100,000–$500,000, but this is unverified.
Has Puripol Boonson won an Olympic medal?
Not yet. He competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics (reaching the 100m semi-finals) and was Thailand’s flag bearer. He is targeting the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Why is he called “Bew”?
“Bew” (sometimes rendered “Angel Bew” in Thai media) is his long-standing nickname from his schoolboy athletics days in Thailand.
Related: read about Asian Games 2026 swimming star Zhang Zhanshuo and teenage tennis sensation Alex Eala.
