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Prawat Nagvajara (Thai: ประวัติ นาควัชระ; RTGS: Prawat Nakwatchara), born December 1, 1958, is a Thai academic and cross-country skier. He is the first person to have represented Thailand at the Winter Olympic Games, having taken part in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Unsurprisingly, he was therefore his country's flagbearer at the Games' Opening Ceremonies on both occasions.

Nagvajara was born and grew up in Bangkok, Thailand, and was a member of a teenage rock band. He is currently a professor of electrical engineering at Drexel University in Pennsylvania, United States. Nagvajara has stated that Philip Boit was his inspiration to participate in the Olympics.

At the 2002 Games, Nagvajara took part in the 30 km race, but was eliminated after being lapped. He then competed in the 1.5 km sprint, and finished 68th out of 71 with a time of 4:14.55 - behind Cameroon's Isaac Menyoli and ahead of Costa Rica's Arturo Kinch.

At the 2006 Games, he competed in the 15 km classical race. He finished 97th with a time of 1:07:15.9.

References

1. Biography on the website of the International Ski Federation
2. "OLYMPICS; Team Thailand Starts And Ends With Skier", New York Times, February 8, 2002
3. "Athletes usher in the Torino Games", USA Today, February 10, 2006
4. "In Praise of the Lone Olympians", Amanda Bauer, Time, February 21, 2002
5. Cross-country skiing results, BBC, February 24, 2008
6. "In Praise of the Lone Olympians", Amanda Bauer, Time, February 21, 2002
7. "If at first you don't succeed ...", Associated Press, February 11, 2002
8. "They’re Alone Against the World", Los Angeles Times, February 18, 2006
9. "'Dead Last' Prawat Nagvajara and another middle-age American, racing for Costa Rica, did battle.", Philadelphia Inquirer, February 2006

External links

• "Unlikely Olympian becomes unlikely hero", Badger Herald, February 21, 2002
• "Ski de fond : Prawat Nagvajara veut battre les Africains", Courier International
• "A few brave men", BBC, February 20, 2002
• "It's the taking part that counts", Duncan Mackay, The Guardian, February 8, 2002
• "Eleven on their own in Games", Associated Press, February 13, 2002

See also

• Vanessa Vanakorn, the second ever Thai Winter Olympian, first woman, second skier, first female alpine skier
• Kanes Sucharitakul, third ever Thai Winter Olympian, second man, third skier, first male alpine skier
• Thailand at the 2002 Winter Olympics
• Thailand at the 2006 Winter Olympics

• 1958 births
• Cross-country skiers at the 2002 Winter Olympics
• Cross-country skiers at the 2003 Asian Winter Games
• Cross-country skiers at the 2006 Winter Olympics
• Drexel University faculty
• Living people
• Olympic cross-country skiers for Thailand
• Thai male cross-country skiers