Torwai Sethsothorn

Torwai Sethsothorn (Thai: ต่อวัย เสฏฐโสธร; born February 14, 1982, in Bangkok) is a Thai former swimmer, who specialized in long-distance freestyle but also competed in backstroke and individual medley.[1] He is a single-time Olympian (2000), and a multiple-time SEA Games gold medalist. Sethsothorn is also the brother of 1998 Asian Games champion Torlarp Sethsothorn.

Torwai Sethsothorn

Personal information
Full name	Torwai Sethsothorn
National team	Thailand
Born	(1982-02-14) 14 February 1982 Bangkok, Thailand
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	69 kg (152 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, backstroke, medley
Club	Mission Viejo Nadadores (U.S.)
Coach	Terry Stoddard (U.S.)
Medal record Men's swimming Representing Thailand Southeast Asian Games 2001 Kuala Lumpur 400 m freestyle 2001 Kuala Lumpur 1500 m freestyle 2001 Kuala Lumpur 400 m medley

Before his Olympic debut, Sethsothorn left his native country Thailand for a two-year residency in the United States. He lived with his uncle in Cypress, California, and later studied at the Mission Viejo High School in Mission Viejo, California. He also trained, along with two other swimmers Juan Veloz of Mexico and Carlo Piccio of the Philippines, for Davie Nadadores Club under head coach Terry Stoddard.[2] While swimming for his respective club, Sethsothorn had earned numerous high school titles including his first triumph from the Mission Viejo Invitational in 2000.[3]

Sethsothorn competed in four individual events, as an 18-year-old, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He posted a FINA A-standard of 4:22.61 (400 m individual medley) from the U.S. National Championships in Federal Way, Washington.[4][5] In the 400 m freestyle, held on the first day of the Games, Sethsothorn posted a lifetime best of 3:56.68 to lead the third heat, finishing twenty-fourth from the prelims.[6][7] The following day, in the 400 m individual medley, Sethsothorn placed thirty-second in a time of 4:28.42, almost six seconds off his entry time.[7][8] Three days later, in the 200 m backstroke, Sethsothorn placed thirty-fifth on the morning prelims. Swimming in heat two, he picked up a fourth spot by one hundredth of a second (0.01) behind Argentina's Eduardo Germán Otero in 2:05.52.[9] In his final event, 1500 m freestyle, Sethsothorn challenged seven other swimmers in heat three, including top favorites Ricardo Monasterio of Venezuela and Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece. He raced to fourth place and twenty-eighth overall by almost ten seconds behind Gianniotis in 15:39.60.[10]

At the 2001 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sethsothorn won a total of three gold medals each in the 400 m individual medley (4:29.43), 400 m freestyle (3:58.18), and 1500 m freestyle (15:49.72).[11][12][13]