Road to Olympia Final: Thanh Tung breaks through after the second round

Four climbers from Hanoi, Hue, Khanh Hoa and Dong Thap are in the final of the 25th Road to Olympia. Thanh Tung broke away after the second round.

Four contestants "climbed the mountain" this morning - Photo: NGUYEN BAO

The final round of the 25th season of the "Road to Olympia" competition took place from 8:30 AM on October 26th at the Vietnam Television studio, with four remote locations in Hue, Dong Thap, Khanh Hoa, and Hanoi . It was broadcast live on VTV3 and streamed online on VTV Online (VTV.vn).

The competition features four contestants who won first prize in this year's quarterly competitions: Le Quang Duy Khoa (Quoc Hoc High School for the Gifted - Hue City), Nguyen Nhut Lam (Cai Be High School, Dong Thap ), Doan Thanh Tung (Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted, Khanh Hoa), and Tran Bui Bao Khanh (Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, Hanoi).

The opening round was tense, with Bao Khanh and Duy Khoa staying close to each other.

The final round began with a rather tense first challenge: the warm-up. Nhut Lam, the "prince" from the fruit kingdom of Dong Thap, scored 35 points, while Thanh Tung scored 30 points.

Meanwhile, Bao Khanh excelled, scoring 65 points with quick, decisive, and accurate answers. Duy Khoa, a student from Quoc Hoc Hue High School, also performed well, closely following with 60 points.

The atmosphere at the Hanoi viewing location erupted whenever Bao Khanh answered correctly - Photo: DANH KHANG

The atmosphere at the Hanoi viewing location erupted whenever Bao Khanh answered correctly - Photo: DANH KHANG

Fans cheered after contestant Nhut Lam's correct answer - Photo: DANG TUYET

Bao Khanh led in both the group and individual warm-up rounds with a total score of 65 - Photo: NGUYEN BAO

Bao Khanh gave gifts from Hanoi to three friends who went "mountain climbing" with him.

At the Vietnam Television studio, the 4 contestants were ready and had a special livestream before the "once in a lifetime" match.

As the hostess, Bao Khanh said she had prepared a quintessential Hanoi treat for her three friends: green rice flakes (com).

This is Nhut Lam's first time in Hanoi, and it's autumn. The weather is quite nice, "a little chilly for my hometown of Dong Thap, but that's okay."

Duy Khoa absolutely loves autumn; the weather is neither too hot nor too cold, much more pleasant than the weather in Hue. Meanwhile, Thanh Tung, a "son of the coast," considers this weather the perfect match for the intensity of today's final.

Four climbers are ready to enter the final round of the year - Photo: NGUYEN BAO

Khanh Hoa: MC "flies," audience braves the rain to support Thanh Tung.

Among the participating locations, Khanh Hoa province stood out, surprising everyone with an unprecedented "flying" performance.

This was the first time a host of the Olympia final flew into the air and hosted from above, then landed on the sand and blended into the carnival atmosphere of thousands of students and performing artists in Khanh Hoa.

Besides the impressive "flying" display, the Khánh Hòa venue also kicked off with an impressive performance combining rap, Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game), and other traditional values. The festive atmosphere was further enhanced by the enthusiastic participation of thousands of students and various beach-based activities such as parasailing and waterskiing.

The bridge wants to send Thanh Tung a strong message: "We are always by your side, accompanying you and are sure that when you are confident, you will have smooth sailing to reap success and reach the big sea. Tung, you always have us. No matter what the result is, you are the winner."

The atmosphere at the home broadcast location was so intense that Doan Thanh Tung couldn't hold back his tears.

MC on behalf of Khanh Hoa people sent Thanh Tung wishes for a successful and convincing mountain climb.

"We are so happy. Every boat is anchored here to witness your victory," the Khánh Hòa viewing point conveyed.

Thanh Tung was overwhelmed by the affection of the people of Khanh Hoa - Photo: NGUYEN BAO

Earlier on the morning of October 26th, 2nd April Square (Nam Nha Trang Ward, Khanh Hoa Province) - the chosen location for the live broadcast of the 2025 Road to Olympia final - was filled with thousands of Khanh Hoa students, locals, and tourists, transforming the area into a vibrant "sea of ​​people" brimming with enthusiasm and cheering on contestant Doan Thanh Tung (Le Quy Don High School).

Over the past few days, the weather in Nha Trang has been unpredictable, with alternating rain and sunshine, but the organizers at the Khanh Hoa venue decided to keep the location outdoors. And this morning, as predicted, it rained.

The rain alternated between heavy downpours and light drizzles, but it didn't deter the fans. Around 4,000 students braved the downpour, filling the main stands, sheltering themselves with raincoats, personal umbrellas, or simply wearing their soaking wet school uniforms.

Cheers, pounding drums, and elaborately prepared "fueling" cultural performances continued with great enthusiasm. Cheering signs and flags bearing the image of Doan Thanh Tung (a 12th-grade student from Le Quy Don Specialized High School) were held high by the young people, creating an impressive image of united support.

"We've been waiting for this moment for a long time. Even though I'm completely soaked, I still have to come here to cheer for Thanh Tung, because we, like everyone else, need a laurel wreath!" - shared Phan Huynh Song Thu, Tung's classmate.

Thousands of students braved the rain to cheer for Doan Thanh Tung - Photo: TRAN HOAI

Thousands of people in Hue "cheered on" Duy Khoa.

Despite the cold, rainy weather this morning in Hue, thousands of people gathered at the Perfume River Theater – the venue for the live broadcast of the Olympia Peak Challenge final – to cheer on contestant Le Quang Duy Khoa.

Arriving at the venue early, Mr. Hoang Dung (residing in Hue City) said that Duy Khoa is the pride and hope of Hue today. "Hopefully, Khoa will be the first climber to help Hue win the championship for two consecutive years. I hope he is confident and victorious," Mr. Dung said.

A forest of flags cheered on "mountain climber" Nguyen Nhut Lam from the land of lotus flowers.

In Dong Thap province, thousands of students, teachers, and parents gathered early at Lac Hong Park in My Tho ward to cheer on Nguyen Nhut Lam (Cai Be High School). It rained early this morning in Dong Thap, but the rain stopped by the time the event began, creating cool and pleasant weather for the supporters. Lac Hong Park is located along the Tien River, where the statue of Nguyen Huu Huan (the top student) is situated – a renowned patriot and the top scorer in the 1852 provincial examination in Gia Dinh.

The atmosphere at the viewing location was vibrant and lively, filled with flags from thousands of students, parents, and teachers eagerly awaiting Nhựt Lam's performance. On stage, the girls from the Mekong Delta, dressed in traditional "áo bà ba" blouses and conical hats, opened the show with songs characteristic of Đồng Tháp, the land of rivers and waterways.

Nguyen Nhut Lam is the only contestant among the four climbers who did not attend a specialized school. Nhut Lam began his journey in the Road to Olympia competition with second place in the weekly round (220 points), then won first place in the monthly round (230 points), and in the second quarter round made a spectacular breakthrough with 290 points to officially qualify for the Grand Final of the 25th Road to Olympia competition.

This is also the second time Dong Thap has had a contestant reach the final round; previously, Nguyen Trong Nhan (a former student of Tien Giang Specialized High School) won the Road to Olympia competition in 2014.

Teachers and students from Ams High School brought robots to cheer on Bao Khanh.

At the Đoan Môn Gate of the historic Thang Long Imperial Citadel, an unprecedented atmosphere of heroism and excitement prevailed. Approximately 8,000 supporters, including teachers, parents, and especially thousands of students from Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students, gathered in traditional ao dai dresses and school uniforms, carrying the national flag and school flags, marching towards the parade "platform," ready to cheer on their representatives.

The atmosphere at the live broadcast location prompted MC Ngoc Huy, who was in the studio, to jokingly say that it reminded him of those historic September days.

"The atmosphere today is so special. We arrived at 6 am to cheer for our friend. Regardless of the outcome, we are still very proud that our friend is participating in the biggest intellectual competition in the country," Minh Anh (Hanoi - Amsterdam High School) shared.

In the audience area, cheers and drumbeats echoed throughout the morning. The teachers also joined in the atmosphere, smiling proudly as they watched their students confidently showcase their knowledge and abilities.

Teachers from Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students joined the vibrant atmosphere at the Hanoi location, cheering on their student Tran Bui Bao Khanh at the studio - Photo: DANH KHANG

Supporters from Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted brought a robot to cheer on Tran Bui Bao Khanh at the Hanoi viewing location - Photo: DANH KHANG

Supporters from Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted cheer on Tran Bui Bao Khanh at the Hanoi viewing location - Photo: DANH KHANG

Delegates cheer on this year's four climbers - Photo: DANH KHANG

Duy Khoa was the first to "climb the mountain".

According to the draw 2 days ago, the order of the 4 climbers in the 2025 final is: Le Quang Duy Khoa (position 1), Doan Thanh Tung (2), Tran Bui Bao Khanh (3), Nguyen Nhat Lam (4).

This year, the final match will continue to be broadcast from iconic local landmarks. Besides the VTV studio, there will be four outdoor broadcast locations: Đoan Môn Gate - Thăng Long Imperial Citadel (Hanoi), Lạc Hồng Park (Dong Thap), Sông Hương Theatre (Hue), and 2-4 Square (Khanh Hoa).

The final round's hosting duties will continue to be handled by familiar MCs: Duc Bao will host the Hue location, Cong To will be the MC for the Khanh Hoa location, while Huyen Trang will take over the Hanoi location, and Phi Linh will host the Dong Thap location.

At the TV station's studio, the hosts are two familiar editors: Khánh Vy and Ngọc Huy.

Ahead of the 2025 Road to Olympia final, the champion of the 24th season, along with former contestants from previous years, sent their best wishes and encouragement to this year's four finalists.

The 2025 Road to Olympia final was held in Hanoi, at the Doan Mon Gate – part of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Here, Tran Bui Bao Khanh's classmates (Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, Hanoi) cheered and enthusiastically supported the contestant representing the capital city. - Video: DANH KHANG

Starting order determined by drawing lots - Photo: VTV

A close-up of the laurel wreath awarded to the champion - Photo: NGUYEN BAO

Portraits of four mountaineers

Le Quang Duy Khoa from Quoc Hoc High School for the Gifted in Hue City is the first contestant to secure a place in the finals.

In the first quarter competition broadcast on January 12th, Duy Khoa beat three other contestants from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Thai Nguyen to win the laurel wreath with 160 points.

Notably, Duy Khoa displayed a calm demeanor, quick reading comprehension, and excellent timing during the buzzer-pressing segment to answer questions. He previously won a silver medal at the national IOE English competition and first prize at the 6th Red Laurel Competition.

Duy Khoa also excels in English and history, loves football, and aspires to pursue a career in scientific research.

Nguyen Nhut Lam helped Cai Be High School (Dong Thap province) have its first ever live broadcast of the Olympia competition.

In the second quarter competition, Lam scored 290 points, surpassing other contestants to win the laurel wreath.

With a strong aptitude for history and English, Lam has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to memorize and reason logically in the sections of the competition that test her knowledge of social issues.

Besides studying, Lam loves music. Her motto is: "A wish without the desire to act on it, even if it had wings, will never reach its goal."

Doan Thanh Tung , a student at Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted (Khanh Hoa), was the winner of the third quarter competition with 255 points.

Previously, Tung entered the quarterly competition as the runner-up with the highest monthly score, but he overtook them and earned a place in the finals.

Tung has a knack for biology and a passion for logic, diagrams, and algorithms – qualities that help him excel at answering questions requiring analytical thinking.

Tung chose the motto: "The past is in your head. The future is in your hands." His nickname, "Kem," was given to him by his friends because of his calm and quiet demeanor while studying.

You mentioned that you aspire to become a military officer. On the Olympia stage, Tung often displays a slow, focused, and calculated approach to each question he chooses.

Tran Bui Bao Khanh , a student from Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students, won the Quarter 4 competition broadcast on October 19th with 270 points.

In this competition, Bao Khanh led in most sections. She maintained consistent performance in the Obstacle Course, Acceleration, and Finish Line sections, thereby securing televised points for Hanoi.

Earlier in the monthly competition, Bao Khanh had achieved 295 points, one of the highest scores of this year's competition.

With a talent for biology, a good memory, and a passion for reading, cooking, and listening to music, Bao Khanh shared that he has a habit of memorizing information after observing or hearing it once. He also always tries to remain calm throughout the competition.

DAU DUNG - NGUYEN BAO - TRAN HOAI - NHAT LINH - DANG TUYET - DANH KHANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chung-ket-duong-len-dinh-olympia-thanh-tung-but-pha-sau-vong-thi-thu-hai-20251026033505523.htm