The Speed Cup isn't really... fast.

cúp tốc độ - Ảnh 1. — Quách Thị Lan demonstrated her dominance at this year's Speed Cup - Photo: DUC VU

Taking place over two days, April 16th and 17th, and bringing together approximately 489 athletes from across the country, the 2025 Speed Cup can be considered the first athletics competition of the year. However, the 2025 Speed Cup has not yet truly made a significant impact in terms of professional standards.

Missing star

One of the most noticeable things when looking at the list of athletes participating in this year's competition is the absence of big-name stars of Vietnamese athletics. Specifically, there is the absence of Tran Nhat Hoang, Ngan Ngoc Nghia, Bui Thi Nguyen, Nguyen Hoai Van, etc. Meanwhile, Quach Cong Lich, although still present, is in a new role as a coach for the youth team.

The number of high-quality athletes who have participated in major international competitions is quite small at the 2025 Speed Cup. Among them, there are only a few names like Tran Thi Nhi Yen, Tran Dinh Son, Quach Thi Lan, and Le Tu Chinh. Even Quach Thi Lan and Tu Chinh are considered stars thanks to their past achievements. In reality, both of these athletes have had limited opportunities to compete recently for various reasons.

The lack of star players was so evident that only four athletes participated in the women's 400m final. Therefore, Quách Thị Lan easily won the gold medal as this is her specialty. Meanwhile, Trần Thị Nhi Yến, a member of the national athletics team, specializes in the 100m and 200m races and only registered for the 400m to "test her abilities," yet still won the silver medal.

Cúp Tốc Độ chưa thật… tốc độ - Ảnh 2. — Le Tu Chinh participates in the Ho Chi Minh City Speed Cup 2025 - Photo: TTO

Not yet unleashed to its full potential.

The absence of star players also contributed to the relatively low professional quality of this year's Speed Cup. There were almost no surprises, with strong athletes or teams winning. The biggest surprise was perhaps the victory in the men's 400m race, which went to Ta Ngoc Tuong instead of Tran Dinh Son.

With athletics being considered a way to kick off the new year, this year's Speed Cup was somewhat underwhelming. However, there are reasons for this, as shared by Mr. Trinh Duc Thanh, a member of the organizing committee:

"National team athletes participating in the Speed Cup, wearing their national or local team colors, are only aiming to increase intensity and get used to the competitive state. No athlete has yet unleashed their full potential because their muscles have just passed the general physical preparation phase, so they haven't reached 100% performance. Reaching their personal best at this point is not easy."

The organizers always strive to maintain the tournament to provide athletes with more opportunities to train, and for coaches to assess their professional skills and identify any shortcomings so that they can be addressed. Only through competition can athletes experience pressure, concentrate their minds, and utilize 100% of their physical capabilities. This is a goal that the Speed Cup aims for."

DUC KHUE - THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cup-toc-do-chua-that-toc-do-20250417233904277.htm