Thor Gim Soon (right) shakes hands with an unknown person during an athletics meet. - Filepic
KUALA LUMPUR: Former national sprinter Thor Gim Soon has passed away.
Known as the “Mighty Thor” by his friends, he won the 4X100m bronze medal in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games.
He was 74.
The other members of the relay team were Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan, V. Vijaratnam and Shahrudin Mohd Ali.
Jamie Thor Lean Mei, 38, said her father passed away on Sunday morning due to pneumonia.
“He loved the sport so much and was even barred from taking his General Certificate of Education (GCE) because he trained all the time. My dad was only 18 then,” she recalled fondly.
Dr Jegathesan said that Thor was a hard working athlete and a good friend whom one could depend on.
“We were close like any other team-mate and would meet up once in a while. It is always sad when a colleague passes away.”
“He was from Perak and we all featured for Malaysia in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games at the age of 18. It was great winning the bronze in the 4x100m as it was a tipping point for athletics in Malaysia.
“It was also a new adventure for the four of us - Thor, Shahrudin, Vijaratnam and me,” said Dr. Jegathesan.
Thor joined the Taiping Prison Department as a prison officer in 1966 and retired as an assistant superintendent at the Penang Prison Department 33 years later.
He is survived by his wife Tan Poh Swan, 62, daughters Jamie, Cindy Thor Dee Mei 33, Josephine Thor Yu Mei, 28, and son Danny Thor Lean Aik, 32.
His wake was held at the Khoo Kongsi Funeral Parlour in Bandar Baru Ayer Itam. His remains will be cremated at the Batu Gantong Crematorium at 2pm on Tuesday.
by Aftar Singh - The Star
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