Do not back down in the face of difficulties.

Athlete Le Van Cong endured pain to bring home the first medal for Vietnam at the 4th Asian Para Games. Photo: THAI DUONG

For athletes with disabilities, maintaining consistent performance is always more challenging than for able-bodied athletes. Therefore, training while simultaneously maintaining stability and improving performance month after month, year after year, is truly extraordinary. Not to mention the athletes who suffer injuries during training; maintaining good physical condition to compete is already extremely difficult. The story of Le Van Cong at the 4th Asian Para Games is a case in point. Despite being a top hope for a gold medal, Le Van Cong unfortunately suffered a shoulder injury during preparation for the Games, significantly impacting his chances of winning. Since arriving in Hangzhou, Le Van Cong has been almost unable to train due to the injury, and before competing, the 39-year-old weightlifter had to take painkillers.

Enduring the pain to avoid giving up, Le Van Cong demonstrated extraordinary willpower, and even more impressively, this weightlifter won a valuable medal. Although he failed to lift 170 kg on his first attempt, Le Van Cong did not give up. He continued to endure the pain and put all his strength into lifting 171 kg and 173 kg in his next two attempts, thus winning the bronze medal. While he didn't win the top medal, it was a tremendous effort on Le Van Cong's part. His achievement of 173 kg was only 3 kg short of the weight that earned him the world championship, and even significantly better than his gold medal win (169 kg) at the 12th Asian Para Games. “Before the competition, I didn’t know if I could lift the weight. I thought about the possibility of having to give up, but then I accepted the pain and continued to compete. A medal at this point is not only meaningful to me but also important for the overall performance of the Vietnamese delegation, so I have to try my best for as long as I can,” Le Van Cong shared.

Just like his teammate Le Van Cong, weightlifter Nguyen Binh An did not give up on his goal, not backing down from difficulties to win the bronze medal in the 54 kg weight category. Despite being the defending champion in this weight category, Binh An faced fierce competition from rivals, including David Degtyarev (Kazakhstan) - the reigning Paralympic champion, and Yang Jinglang (China) - the 2021 World Silver Medalist. In his first lift, Binh An only succeeded with 174 kg, while David Degtyarev and Yang Jinglang conquered 179 kg and 178 kg respectively. Undeterred by the gap, Binh An narrowed the difference to 3 kg and 2 kg respectively in his second lift, successfully lifting 180 kg. In his final lift, the weightlifter from Tra Vinh province brilliantly conquered 184 kg, breaking the Games record. However, David Degtyarev also brilliantly broke the Asian record with a performance of 186 kg and won the gold medal, while Yang Jinglang won the silver medal with 185 kg. “I tried very hard to conquer a weight higher than I had anticipated, but my competitors performed better, so I had to settle for the bronze medal. This is the best achievement of my career. Before the competition, I didn't dare think I would achieve this,” Binh An shared after setting his career best.

Although he couldn't successfully defend his gold medal, Binh An triumphed over himself by achieving a career-high lift, shattering the Asian Para Games record with 184 kg (the previous record was 179 kg). Previously, Binh An won the Asian Para Games gold medal in 2018 with 178 kg, and at the recent World Championships, his best performance was only 173 kg. Therefore, the 184 kg lift at the 4th Asian Para Games is truly a remarkable achievement for the 38-year-old weightlifter. It's the result of the Vietnamese spirit and willpower, never backing down from difficulties, never giving up no matter how strong the opponent. This achievement will be a huge motivation for Binh An as he aims for his most important goal next year: the Paris Paralympic Games.

VINH HY

Source: http://www.baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/artmid/422/articleid/70534/khong-lui-buoc-truoc-kho-khan