The beautiful love story of 'frog prince' Thanh Bao and 'princess' My Tien

TPO - The 33rd SEA Games in Thailand was not only a battleground for fierce competitions, but also a place that marked a beautiful story of sharing and love between Vietnam's "golden couple" in swimming: Pham Thanh Bao and Vo Thi My Tien.

On the evening of February 14th, the swimming pool at the Bangkok Main Arena erupted in cheers as Pham Thanh Bao, Vietnam's "Frog Prince," successfully conquered the gold medal in the men's 200m breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes 12 seconds 81. This was not only Thanh Bao's third consecutive victory at the Games, but also affirmed his talent and class in the swimming arena.

Earlier, Vo Thi My Tien, a promising young talent of the women's swimming team, also performed impressively in her events. She won a bronze medal in the women's 200m individual medley and, together with her teammates, secured another bronze medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

The pressure of competing at the SEA Games is immense, especially for My Tien, one of Vietnam's brightest hopes in women's swimming. After finishing an event with a less-than-expected result, she was overcome with emotion and burst into tears, right after receiving a demonstration from a swimming leader.

In the most tense moments on the race track, Thanh Bao performed a simple yet deeply meaningful act, boosting My Tien's morale. Immediately after crossing the finish line and winning the gold medal, he raised two fingers to form the letter T. – a direct message of encouragement, like a heartfelt message to his girlfriend and teammates: "Keep going, there's still a long way to go."

“That letter T is for Vo Thi My Tien. When I saw Tien crying, I didn't dare ask too many questions, I just wanted to encourage her. I told Tien that there are still two more days of competition, so she should try her best because there's still a long way to go. Tien and I will continue to try even harder,” Thanh Bao shared after the competition.

Thanh Bao's simple yet meaningful act not only attracted public attention but also conveyed a powerful message: the bond, encouragement, and support among athletes is a tremendous source of mental strength, helping them overcome pressure and challenges in sports .

These two individuals—fighting for the pride of their nation—have together written an emotional story, where achievement is measured not only by medals, but also by belief, sharing, and love from the heart.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chuyen-tinh-dep-cua-hoang-tu-ech-thanh-bao-va-cong-chua-my-tien-post1804692.tpo