Winning the gold medal at age 19.

(PLVN) - Swimming and athletics are two disciplines that have surprised many sports fans with the emergence of young talents who have made a name for themselves at the recent SEA Games 33.

The beauty queen has extraordinary resilience.

Fans will never forget 19-year-old Bui Thi Kim Anh, who decided to push herself to 1.86 meters. She calmly ran up and executed a spectacular jump at the 33rd SEA Games in Supachalasai, Thailand. The jump surprised even Kim Anh herself, who never expected to clear that height. That stunning jump also opened a new path for the Vietnamese track and field beauty queen in particular, and for the sport of track and field in Vietnam in general.

Kim Anh's gold medal at the Suphachalasai Stadium was the result of years of quiet, arduous training in Hai Hau, Nam Dinh (now Ninh Binh province). "For me, the SEA Games 33 gold medal is not just an achievement, but a milestone in my journey of growth, perseverance, and self-belief," Kim Anh expressed.

The young girl, born in 2006, began her athletics career at a school competition six years ago. She quickly demonstrated the innate qualities of a high jumper with her ideal height and powerful jumping ability. However, Kim Anh faced pressure while still a student, dealing with persistent ankle and back injuries. Kim Anh says that when she felt stressed, the dedicated support of her coach, Vu Thi My Hanh, and her family became a strong foundation, preventing her from giving up on her passion.

Entering the SEA Games 33 as a newcomer, Kim Anh carried considerable pressure, as the women's high jump was not the most anticipated "gold" event for the Vietnamese sports delegation. This was because the women's high jump had not made a significant impact in the region for a long time.

Kim Anh's best height before the competition was only 1.77m, a considerable distance from the group competing for medals in the region. Even throughout 2025, Kim Anh never once surpassed 1.80m in training or official competition.

However, Kim Anh surprised the Vietnamese sports delegation and even herself. Right there in Thailand, the young girl displayed surprisingly mature competitive spirit, effortlessly clearing the starting bar heights on her very first jump, creating a wave of excitement throughout the Vietnamese athletics team.

High jumper Kim Anh competes at the 33rd SEA Games.

The competition became breathtaking when only Kim Anh and her experienced Filipino opponent remained, competing at the 1.83m bar. In the decisive moment, when her opponent failed in all three attempts, Kim Anh successfully capitalized on her psychological advantage to clear the bar and set a new personal record, much to the astonishment of the experts. After the first two failures, in the final attempt, Kim Anh "flew" over the bar with unwavering confidence and perfect technique, creating a real shock for the regional athletics community.

"The decision to raise the bar height to 1.86m – a figure close to the ASIAD championship level and the best performance of the Vietnamese women's high jump at the SEA Games in the past 14 years – is the most significant mark of the breakthrough of young talent," expressed Nguyen Manh Hung, General Secretary of the Vietnam Athletics Federation.

Sharing her thoughts after her unexpected victory, Kim Anh said: "I absolutely didn't think I would win the gold medal. Entering the competition, I thought just getting into the medal contention would be great because I hadn't surpassed 1.8m all year. After no one else was competing with me, I tried again but couldn't break the 1.89m mark. Even so, my goal is to break the SEA Games record in the future."

Kim Anh has rekindled hope for the women's high jump event, which had experienced a long lull since the peak of her predecessor, Duong Thi Viet Anh. For Kim Anh, conquering the 1.86m bar is just one milestone; her goal is to break the SEA Games record and go further in continental competitions. After winning the gold medal at such a young age, the beautiful young woman remains humble and simple, calmly accepting the praise on social media. For Kim Anh, the goal remains to conquer height and not rest on her laurels. She trains and trains to develop a strong mentality for bigger competitions, starting with the 2026 Asian Games.

High jumper Kim Anh wins gold medal at SEA Games 33. (Photo in article: Provided by the interviewee)

Nguyen Duc Nguyen added more about the factors in the major continental competition where Kim Anh is highly anticipated: “We are striving to win a gold medal at the 2026 ASIAD and achieve an Olympic qualifying standard by 2028. We are very pleased that some of our young athletes are close to achieving this goal, such as Tran Thi Loan in the long jump, Bui Kim Anh in the high jump, or Ta Ngoc Tuong in the men's 400m.”

The younger brother of swimmer Ánh Viên

Nguyen Quang Thuan (born in 2006 in Can Tho ) is a great idol of his older sister, Anh Vien, and also a source of pressure for Thuan when he joined the national team at the age of 19. The SEA Games 33 gold medal affirmed Quang Thuan's maturity and holds great promise for the young man.

Quang Thuấn was discovered and selected for the talent development program at the age of 10 by coaches at the National Defense Sports Center 4 (Military Region 9). Throughout his career, he has been mentored by professional coaches at the national team and the Army club. Among them is coach Nguyễn Hoàng Vũ, who also coached famous swimmers such as Nguyễn Huy Hoàng and Trần Hưng Nguyên.

The rigorous military training environment, focusing on fundamental techniques and developing physical endurance, provided a strong foundation for Quang Thuan. This strictness and high standards helped Thuan quickly develop the demeanor of a top-level athlete, fostering self-discipline and the resilience to overcome the psychological and physical pressures of professional training.

Called up to the national swimming team in 2021, Quang Thuan made a name for himself by helping the Vietnamese swimming team finish first at the 2024 Southeast Asian School Games. In his first participation in a regional school sports event, Quang Thuan became the most successful male swimmer of the Vietnamese delegation with 5 gold medals.

At the 33rd SEA Games, he shone brightly, winning the gold medal and breaking the Games record in the men's 400m individual medley with a time of 4 minutes 19 seconds 98 (the previous record was 4 minutes 20 seconds 65, set by his teammate Tran Hung Nguyen). Prior to this, Quang Thuan had won two silver medals in the 400m individual medley and 200m butterfly (SEA Games 31, 2022) and two silver medals in the same events at SEA Games 32 (2023). Winning silver medals consecutively at two SEA Games shows that Thuan is always on the verge of glory. This accumulation of achievements was the foundation for his pivotal victory at SEA Games 33.

Quang Thuấn and his sister Ánh Viên.

Quang Thuan emotionally said after winning the gold medal at the age of 19: “When I crossed the finish line and saw myself in first place, my emotions overwhelmed me. I had been waiting for this SEA Games gold medal for a long time, and this achievement is the biggest motivation for me to continue training.”

Nguyen Quang Thuan affirmed that he will not rest on his laurels. His immediate goal is to continue improving his personal best, aiming to compete for medals at bigger competitions such as the ASIAD and striving to qualify for the Olympics.

"I understand that there are many challenges ahead, but I will try my best to shorten my swimming times in all distances, get closer to new goals at the continental and world levels, and continue to bring more glory to Vietnamese sports," Quang Thuan said confidently.

At the age of 19, with a solid physical and technical foundation and the resilience honed through previous SEA Games, Nguyen Quang Thuan is considered the brightest talent in Vietnamese swimming. His potential to develop in the 400m individual medley – a distance requiring all-around skill and extraordinary endurance – shows that he has all the qualities to reach continental and world levels.

Having won their first SEA Games gold medal, Kim Anh and Quang Thuấn are considered the perfect successor generation for Vietnamese sports. A bright future awaits these passionate, dedicated young people.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/cam-vang-tuoi-19.html