Theerapong Silachai (Thai: ธีรพงศ์ ศิลาชัย; born 19 November 2003) is a Thai weightlifter competing in the men's 61 kg category. He is a silver medalist in the Weightlifting Men's 61 kg category at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. He is regarded as the first Thai male weightlifter Olympic silver medalist. He won a gold medal at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships.
Born into a middle-class family where his father was a trader in Sisaket, a province in lower Isan (northeast Thailand) bordering Cambodia. His father's financial status was not good, so his family had to live in his aunt's house with other relatives. Therefore, Silachai intended to buy a house for his father with the compensation from being an athlete. He started training in weightlifting in 2015.[2]
As a youth lifter, Silachai's first known competition was at the Khun Dan Games in Nakhon Nayok, competing in the men's 50 kg category. He lifted 90 kilograms in the snatch and 115 in the clean and jerk for a 205 kilogram total, winning the gold medal.[3]
Still as a youth lifter, Silachai participated in the 2020 edition at Nakhon Sawan and 2021 edition at Chiang Mai of the Thailand Weightlifting Championships, winning gold on both occasions. Lifting 100 kilograms in the snatch and 134 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a 234 kilogram total in the 2020 edition breaking national youth records in the clean and jerk and total, and lifting 106 kilograms in the snatch and 125 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a 231 kilogram total in the 2021 edition.[4][5]
As a junior, he participated at the 47th Thailand National Games, competing in the men's 55 kg category winning gold in all three lifts. Lifting 110 kilograms in the snatch, 142 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and a 252 kilogram total.[1]
In 2023, Silachai went up a class at the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships, competing in the men's 61 kg category. He lifted 299 kilograms in total, earning bronze and setting new junior world records in the clean and jerk with 167 kilograms and in the total with 299 kilograms.[7]
