A breath of fresh air for Vietnamese athletics.

The return of the track and field athletes after two major tournaments, the SEA Games and the Asian Games, has breathed new life into the 2023 National Championships, boosting the selection of personnel to prepare for international competitions in 2024 and subsequent years.

After the first two days of competition, Nguyen Thi Oanh (Bac Giang) has won three gold medals in her strongest events: the 1,500m, 5,000m, and 3,000m steeplechase, becoming a strong contender for the title of best athlete of the tournament. This athlete is still competing in the 10,000m women's event and could potentially win another championship despite facing strong opponents such as Pham Thi Hong Le (Binh Dinh), Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa (Binh Phuoc), Le Thi Tuyet (Phu Yen), Nguyen Thi Phuong Trinh ( Hau Giang ), etc.

Ngan Ngoc Nghia (330, Army) finishes the men's 100m race. (Photo: QUY LUONG)

Also highly regarded in the men's sprint, athlete Ngan Ngoc Nghia (Army) easily finished first in the men's 100m race and, together with his teammates, won the gold medal, breaking the national record in the men's 4x100m relay. Vietnam's best runner also competed in the 200m and 4x200m relay events, confidently aiming to win all four gold medals in the sprint events.

Nguyen Thi Oanh and Ngan Ngoc Nghia are two of the athletes who have maintained their form and competitive spirit despite unsuccessful experiences at the SEA Games 32 or ASIAD 19. The impressive performances of Nguyen Thi Huyen (Nam Dinh, gold medal in the women's 400m), Bui Thi Nguyen (Army, gold medal in the women's 100m hurdles), Tran Thi Nhi Yen (Long An, gold medal in the women's 100m), and Luong Duc Phuoc ( Dong Nai , gold medal in the men's 1500m)... affirm the irreplaceable role of these pillars of the national team.

Fans are also eagerly awaiting the return of athletes who once reached the pinnacle of Southeast Asian sports, such as women's javelin champion Lo Thi Hoang (Son La) after injury, women's heptathlon gold medalist Nguyen Linh Na (Army) due to marriage, and former SEA Games silver medalist Le Ngoc Phuc ( Ha Tinh ) after serving a ban. Le Ngoc Phuc has already won a silver medal in the men's 400m and a gold medal in the men's 4x400m relay, ready to shine again in the 800m race to prove that the doping ban was truly just an unintentional "accident".

The 2023 National Athletics Championships took place from October 24th to 28th at the National Military Training Center 4 (formerly the Mieu Mon Shooting Range), 40 km from Hanoi. The organization of the competition strictly adhered to military regulations, with over 600 athletes and coaches from 53 units living and training like real soldiers.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/the-thao/lan-gio-moi-cua-dien-kinh-viet-nam-20231025221621456.htm