SOCHI SCENE: Thailand's other guy

Associated Press
Thailand's Kanes Sucharitakul reacts after finishing the first run of the men's giant slalom the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — Thailand only has two Olympians — and one's getting most of the attention because she's also a pop star at home.

The country's other Olympian is Kanes Sucharitakul, an Alpine skier who was Thailand's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony and finished 65th in the giant slalom.

His teammate, Vanessa-Mae, is a platinum-selling pop violinist who lives in England and was born to a Thai father. She's sold 10 million records worldwide.

Sucharitakul's focus at the Olympics has been skiing. When asked about anti-government protests in his home country that have turned deadly, he said: "I get the news mostly from my family but I would really rather not comment on that."

— By Graham Dunbar — http://twitter.com/gdunbarap

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Associated Press reporters are filing dispatches about happenings in and around Sochi during the 2014 Winter Games. Follow AP journalists covering the Olympics on Twitter: http://apne.ws/1c3WMiu