Five months after claiming the Olympic title in dramatic fashion, Wongpattanakit was named as the best female amateur athlete of 2021 by the Sports Authority of Thailand.

She received a trophy from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha during a ceremony in Bangkok on December 16 - less than a fortnight after being appointed as a Women in Sports ambassador by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

After her Tokyo triumph in the women's under-49 kilograms flyweight category, Wongpattanakit returned home to a hero's welcome from adoring fans and the promise of almost THB20 million (£435,700/$608,000/€512,700).

The 23-year-old arrived in Phuket from the Japanese capital along with national coach Choi Young-seok and the rest of the Thai taekwondo team.

The new Olympic champion was met at the airport by her father, Phuket Governor Narong Wunsiew, and Taekwondo Association of Thailand President Pimol Srivikorn.

Wongpattanakit, overwhelmed by the support, claimed it was the best day of her life.

She and the team also received flowers and a message of support from Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya.

"It is meaningful that Wongpattanakit and I were able to give joy and encouragement with the gold medal to the people in Thailand suffering from the new coronavirus pandemic, as well as write a page in the country's sports history," South Korean-born Choi told the Yonhap news agency.

"I want to do the best in every competition," Wongpattanakit told the Bangkok Post.

"I want to be in the next Olympics in Paris, if I'm physically fit."

Wongpattanakit had arrived in Tokyo as a strong favourite for gold given her formidable competitive record.

She won the first of her two world titles as a 17-year-old in 2015, and the following year reached the medal podium at the Rio 2016 Olympics, earning bronze after losing her quarter-final 6-5 to eventual champion Kim So-hui of South Korea.

At Tokyo 2020, Wongpattanakit claimed an 11-10 victory with a kick in the last seconds after her 17-year-old opponent, Adriana Cerezo of Spain, appeared poised for a shock gold.

Wongpattanakit - who already had world, Youth Olympic, Asian, Asian Games and Universiade titles - celebrated with her coaching staff after upgrading from bronze at Rio, while a dejected Cerezo fell to the floor at the end of the contest.

In February 2020, three months after being voted as World Taekwondo's female athlete of 2019, after regaining her world title, she told the Bangkok Post: "My aim [at Tokyo 2020] is definitely the gold medal.

"I was disappointed at the previous Olympics and that's a lesson.

"If I am 100 per cent fit and do not have an injury, I am confident that I will return to Thailand with a gold medal.

"I am almost 100 per cent ready now.

"I think my physical condition will peak when the Games come."

Although she had to wait an extra year to prove it, when the supreme challenge arrived, Wongpattanakit was ready to meet it.