On the evening of May 9, I almost jumped in joy and excitement when I witnessed the speeding performance of Nguyen Thi Oanh - "golden girl", "snail pepper" of Vietnamese athletics - on 5m obstacle course.
Super difficult challenge: Competing in two consecutive finals of the content at a medium distance with only 2 minutes apart, but she overcame it excellently, thereby also successfully defending all three medals. The gold medal (HCV) was won at the 20st SEA Games last year.
Nguyen Thi Oanh was surprised when she snatched 2 gold medals in 2 competitions less than 20 minutes apart (Photo: Tien Tuan).
An extraordinary feat
Yes, winning two gold medals of 1.500m and 3.000m over obstacles just over 20 minutes apart at the 32nd SEA Games is truly an unbelievable feat, worthy of two "extraordinary" hours!
Just in the morning of the same day, Oanh himself as well as the team's coaching board suddenly received a notice of changing the schedule of the Athletics Organizing Committee. Accordingly, Oanh's plan for 2 content exams in 2 days (May 9 and 10) was reduced to 5 minutes. All objections are void.
Conspiracy theorists have made many analyzes about this change of schedule. But here let's focus on the ultimate challenge before Oanh. As far as I know, before that change of schedule, there were opinions among fans: Does Oanh have to calculate to choose the maximum effort in one of the two contents, instead of wanting to win both gold medals or not? Are not? And the answer was there, very clearly, from her very different level, determination and will!
In the 1.500m content, Oanh actively "hidden in the wind" behind Chui Ling Go (Singapore) for most of the competition, only really accelerating in the last round to reach the first finish with a parameter of 4 minutes and 16 seconds. 85, 2 seconds lower than SEA Games 31, but still 10 seconds ahead of the competition! After reaching the finish line, she only had time to dry herself and immediately went to prepare for the final 3.000m obstacle course, which took place after just… more than 15 minutes. Everything was so urgent that Oanh had to beg for a doping test (compulsory procedure for athletes who won gold medals) in order to enter the second challenge in time.
In the 3.000m content, still in that sweaty outfit, Oanh continued to choose the fight to chase Jolda Gognao (Philippines) instead of going ahead. However, it is worth mentioning that Oanh is very proactive in following "closely" to the opponent (sometimes only less than 1 meter away from the opponent), forcing Gognao to ... relax in the lead. Towards the end of the penultimate round, when Gognao began to gasp, Oanh sped up. The cadences are still as agile as an antelope. The distance continued to widen until she reached the finish line 6 seconds ahead of her opponent.
With his whole body drenched in sweat, Oanh just hunched over to adjust his breathing for nearly a minute, then ran to the training area, received the national flag, and teammate Nguyen Thi Huong (won a bronze medal) celebrated the war. win. A forest of lenses surrounded her. In the distance, Gognao showed his fatigue, turned his head to look at Oanh as if he couldn't believe there was such a formidable opponent right in Southeast Asia...
Witnessing that scene, I was filled with pride and admiration. “Pepper girl” Nguyen Thi Oanh is really a “superwoman” who has amazed the athletics world of the region. In that small body there is not only outstanding capacity (compared to competitors) but also a truly extraordinary energy and will!
The aspiration of the "golden girl"
Few people know that in order to get to this day, Nguyen Thi Oanh – the funny nickname is… Oanh “in” (given by her teammates, because she was born in the year of the Pig, 1995) – has gone through extremely difficult challenges. difficult on the steps of his life as well as his athletic career.
She was born into a poor farming family with many children in the countryside of Lang Giang (Bac Giang). Not only the difficult family conditions (the original family also did not support Oanh in sports), but her very short height was also a significant obstacle for this girl when she first came to athletics.
But in Oanh is a great desire to stick with and rise with sports. She always tries non-stop to perfect her technique and improve her level to compensate for her physical disadvantage. After consecutive successes in the youth tournaments, having just confirmed herself in the national tournament, Oanh suddenly discovered glomerulonephritis. But not even her monstrous illness and her doctor's ban on exercise could stop her will. Taking a break from competition for more than 2 years to focus on healing, while still trying to practice and maintain, Oanh won the disease to return to the track, then continuously set up feats that surprised everyone. .
At the 29th SEA Games in 2017 in Malaysia, at the age of 22, Oanh won a double gold medal in the content of 1.500m and 5.000m. SEA Games 30 in 2019 in the Philippines, she made her first "golden hat-trick" in the content of 1.500m, 5.000m and 3.000m obstacle course.
At the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Oanh successfully defended the top of all three contents. And this time, in Cambodia, Oanh's number of gold medals won at the SEA Games has been increased to 3 after completing a "hat-trick" of 11 consecutive gold medals.
What is special is that, if in the past, Oanh had scored a "double gold medal" 4 times in 1 day (4-8 hours apart) at SEA Games 30, 31 as well as 2 national championships, then This time, the "double" becomes the most special when the two contents are only 2 minutes apart (according to experts, it is difficult to find a second similar case in the world).
Oanh's outstanding regional talent is unquestionable. But more importantly in Nguyen Thi Oanh is an example of overcoming difficulties, aspiration to rise as well as truly extraordinary will and energy. She deserves to be considered a great inspiration, not only for athletes but also for young talents in many other areas of social life!
Author: Journalist Doan Huu Binh is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Sports Magazine (General Department of Physical Education and Sports); Standing member of Vietnam E-Sports and Entertainment Association, member of Executive Committee of Vietnam Chess Federation; Member of the Media Department of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Mr. Binh Nguyen is the Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Sports Newspaper's correspondent department and co-author of the book A Brief History of Vietnamese Football. At the 31st SEA Games held in Vietnam in 2022, journalist Doan Huu Binh is a member of the Communications Subcommittee of the Organizing Committee, and the author of the slogan "For a stronger Southeast Asia" (For a stronger Southeast Asia) of the 31st SEA Games.
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