The unexpected gold medal from… the sandpit.

Although not yet a well-known name, Ho Trong Manh Hung caused a surprise by bringing home the first gold medal for Vietnamese athletics at the 33rd SEA Games.

Ho Trong Manh Hung surprised everyone by bringing home the first gold medal for Vietnamese athletics - Photo: NAM TRAN

On the afternoon of December 11th, the athletics competition of the 33rd SEA Games officially kicked off at the Suphachalasai Stadium (Bangkok, Thailand). Immediately, the Vietnamese team had a successful opening day with a gold medal won by Ho Trong Manh Hung.

The name is hard to guess.

For the past 12 years, Vietnamese athletics has not won a gold medal in the men's triple jump. Therefore, no one expected any surprises at this SEA Games.

All doubts grew when the person entrusted with the responsibility was Ho Trong Manh Hung, a young man born in 2004 and participating in the SEA Games for the first time. Therefore, Vietnamese reporters could hardly predict the outcome.

Manh Hung's victory was unexpected by many - Photo: NAM TRAN

On the Suphachalasai track, all attention was focused on the running events. It wasn't until the Vietnamese flag unexpectedly fluttered in the distance that everyone hastily dropped their backpacks and laptops, grabbing only their cameras to capture Mạnh Hùng's celebratory moment.

Vietnam's first gold medal in athletics at the 33rd SEA Games didn't come on the track, but from the sand trap. He made a spectacular jump, achieving a distance of 16.33m. Nearly an hour later, as Ho Trong Manh Hung prepared to receive his medal, the reporters were still bewildered, asking each other if they knew who he was.

The jump of a lifetime brought victory.

The consecutive failed jumps couldn't deter the young man born in 2004 - Photo: LINH DONG

In August, at the National Athletics Championships, this young man achieved a distance of 16.30m to win his first gold medal. Compared to other athletes at this year's SEA Games, that was enough for Mạnh Hùng to claim the title. In fact, his performance was 0.03m better than at the National Championships.

But to achieve that victory on the Suphachalasai stadium, Manh Hung had to go through some heart-stopping moments. In the very first round, in his first time competing in the SEA Games, Hung was so nervous that he achieved a very low score.

Many reporters left their equipment behind, carrying only their cameras to capture Mạnh Hùng's celebratory moment - Photo: NAM TRẦN

At this point, the pressure weighed heavily on him, causing him to make mistakes with his run-up in the second and third attempts. Things got even worse in the fourth attempt when he made another mistake with his take-off.

The scoreboard on the field continuously updated the results of the top Malaysian and Singaporean athletes. This seemed to indicate that the Vietnamese men's triple jump team had once again missed out on gold. But Mạnh Hùng didn't give up easily. Under immense psychological pressure, he found a way to pull himself up.

"After failing on the fourth attempt, I only had two more attempts to salvage the situation. The pressure was immense, so I had to raise my hand to the audience to encourage them. I used that as motivation and immediately succeeded on the fifth attempt, with a distance of 16m."

But that was just the prelude to a magical afternoon. Because, thanks to that encouragement, Manh Hung surged forward strongly in the decisive jump.

His final performance was 16.33m, only slightly better than the runner-up from Malaysia, Anura Andre (16.29m). "Thanks to the immense motivation, in the final leg I told myself I had to give it my all, determined to make it a jump of a lifetime," Mạnh Hùng shared.

"I couldn't believe my eyes, I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness. This was my first time at the SEA Games, and I only aimed to do my best, never thinking I would win the first gold medal for Vietnamese athletics. If it weren't for that unforgettable jump at that crucial moment, I wouldn't be here today," the 2004-born athlete shared.

At the age of 21, Ho Trong Manh Hung ended Vietnam's 12-year gold medal drought in men's triple jump. His future is bright, with many titles and records waiting to be broken.

Back to the topic

DUC KHUE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chiec-huy-chuong-vang-bat-ngo-tu-ho-cat-20251212135044493.htm