Victories of courage

From a veteran athlete who once competed in the most prestigious Olympic Games to a young student participating in the SEA Games for the first time, they have all demonstrated remarkable skill to bring glory to Vietnamese sports.

OVERCOMING PRESSURE

Trinh Thu Vinh's journey to the top at the 33rd SEA Games was far from easy. The resilience of this young woman born in 2000 was tested from the very first shots of the qualifying round. The immense psychological pressure caused her to temporarily pause her performance, stepping outside to discuss and adjust her state of mind with the coaching staff. However, this was the golden moment for her steely resolve to shine through. After a few minutes of adjustment, she returned to the arena with intense focus, performing brilliantly to finish second in the qualifying round, only behind her teammate Nguyen Thuy Trang. This impressive performance not only secured Thu Vinh a place in the final but also contributed significantly to the Vietnamese shooting team breaking the SEA Games team record.

Trinh Thu Vinh (center) won 2 gold medals in shooting and broke 2 SEA Games records.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

Entering the final, the drama continued to escalate. Vietnam's top shooter had a less-than-ideal start, constantly falling behind her opponents. Faced with the opportunity and challenge of winning the individual gold medal, the composure of an athlete who had competed in the Olympics was once again activated. Thu Vinh displayed incredible coolness in the decisive shots. She made a spectacular surge to take the lead and win convincingly. With a total score of 242.7, Thu Vinh not only won the individual gold medal but also officially broke the SEA Games record in this event, completing a historic double for herself.

Thu Vinh (right) won the gold medal and Thuy Trang won the silver medal.

Sharing her thoughts after the victory, Thu Vinh admitted that it was a difficult competition, and at times her emotions were beyond her control. However, thanks to the encouragement and trust of the coaching staff, along with her accumulated competition experience, especially completely eliminating thoughts about the shooting rounds before the final, she transformed the pressure into motivation. The double gold medals and two records at the SEA Games 33 are a crucial turning point, affirming Thu Vinh's position and unwavering spirit, creating a solid foundation for upcoming international competitions.

YOUNGEST ATHLETE TO WIN GOLD MEDAL

Also in Bangkok yesterday afternoon, December 14th, under pressure from the home crowd in Thailand and the seasoned skills of experienced bowlers from the region, 16-year-old Tran Hoang Khoi brought home a spectacular gold medal. Although Khoi is only in high school and still looks very young, he possessed the coolest head and the most composure in his every swing, sending the bowling ball hurtling forward. Khoi proved that in sports, talent and composure are sometimes not measured by age.

Tran Hoang Khoi wins gold medal in bowling.

The interesting thing about Hoang Khoi's victory lies in the moment the results were announced. According to Ms. Bui Kim Ha, the team leader of the Vietnamese bowling team at the 33rd SEA Games, Khoi's reaction upon learning he had won the gold medal was a strange mix. "He was happy but still looked bewildered; he won but just froze as if everything was normal, as if victory was a given," Ms. Ha recounted. Khoi's bewilderment was an endearing trait of this young student, but the feeling that "victory was a given" reflected the confidence of the new SEA Games bowling champion. Currently, Khoi is the youngest athlete to win gold for Vietnamese sports at this Games.

Of course, Khoi's achievement didn't come naturally. Ms. Kim Ha emphasized that behind Khoi's calm demeanor was a thorough preparation by the coaching staff. "We studied the opponents very carefully, preparing Khoi mentally before, during, and after the match. This meticulous preparation helped him not to be intimidated by very strong opponents from the region. This is a well-deserved achievement for Khoi and the entire Vietnamese bowling team," Ms. Ha shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-chien-thang-cua-ban-linh-185251214222348474.htm