Why Phuket draws top sports stars for training – cyclists, Maria Sharapova, triathletes and Olympians from around the world
While most tourists flock to the Thai island for a relaxing beachside break or its non-stop nightlife, in rainforest near the airport elite athletes including Maria Sharapova hone their fitness and skills at Thanyapura’s Olympic village
I’m swimming in an Olympic pool ringed by an amphitheatre of jungle. Above this emerald forest, a tropical storm darkens the dusk, then slashes it with lighting bolts. Monkeys howl, and twilight birds chorus. But still I race on to the tick-tick-tick of a giant Seiko clock.
That is because there’s a gold medal winner swimming in the lane adjacent. Thanyapura, an Olympic village nestled in Thai rainforest 20 minutes from Phuket Airport, is a training ground for the stars. Case in point: in October, Maria Sharapova used the world-class tennis facilities in between tournaments in Singapore and Shanghai.
My three-day elite training programme started at breakfast. As many of Thanyapura’s bike routes were planned by former Tour de France competitors, I’m keen to focus on my cycling skills. “The Dutch, Hong Kong and Philippine Olympic teams all train here on Phuket Island,” says my guide Ricky Phantip, the sport resort’s head triathlon coach and a member of Thailand’s duathlon team. “Even car drivers are used to groups of bikers.”
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There’s a tap-tap-tap from the rubber plantations as we barrel through at 40km/h. Then the honey fragrance of pineapple from Phuket’s famously sweet variety, which is sold roadside from 10 baht (HK$2.50) apiece.