Gold medals of emotion and courage

GOING AGAINST THE "CRAZY" CURRENT

In the women's 25m sport pistol event, Thu Vinh once again faced her teammate Thuy Trang in the final. Just as Trang was about to claim her first individual gold medal at the SEA Games 33, Vinh exploded. The shooter, born in 2000, consistently aimed accurately, leveling the score at 34-34. Then, in the decisive shoot-offs, Thu Vinh won 3-2 and became the gold medalist.

Những HCV của cảm xúc và bản lĩnh- Ảnh 1. — Thu Vinh *(right)* with her teammate Thuy Trang

It seems that the more pressure she faced, the more outstanding Thu Vinh became. Before winning two gold medals in the women's 25m sport pistol (team and individual), she had a forgettable day in the 10m mixed air pistol final. While Quang Huy improved his performance, Thu Vinh consistently only scored 9 points, resulting in the Vietnamese pair losing significantly to the Indonesian pair (9-17) and winning the silver medal. At the shooting range in the Huamark Sports Complex (Bangkok), Thu Vinh's face was always pensive and tense. She even had to take headache medication. But after all, Thu Vinh overcame the pressure to become the most successful Vietnamese athlete at the 33rd SEA Games with 4 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and breaking 3 Games records.

Những HCV của cảm xúc và bản lĩnh- Ảnh 2. — Ho Thi Duy won the gold medal at the age of 19.

Những HCV của cảm xúc và bản lĩnh- Ảnh 3. — The gold medal in rowing went to four talented girls.

Later that evening, at Fashion Island shopping mall, Phuoc Den also staged a breathtaking comeback to win the gold medal in the men's foil event. Facing the highly-rated fencer Jose Noelito (Philippines), the Vietnamese athlete was somewhat overwhelmed and repeatedly trailed, from 3-7, 4-8, and then 5-9. However, Phuoc Den did not waver. Even when cornered (trailing 11-14), he still played extremely calmly, making no mistakes. Every strike and movement of Phuoc Den was almost perfect, helping him win 15-14 and bring home the first gold medal for Vietnamese fencing. Nguyen Xuan Loi also won the gold medal in the men's sabre event after defeating his teammate Nguyen Van Quyet.

TRANSFORM PRESSURE INTO MOMENTUM

On the final day of Muay Thai competition (December 17th) at the 33rd SEA Games, Vietnamese Muay Thai fighters participated in six finals across various weight categories, winning two valuable gold medals. Notably, both gold medals were won by female fighters: Nguyen Thi Chieu (under 57 kg) and Nguyen Thi Phuong Hau (under 60 kg). The achievements of these two Vietnamese female fighters are even more remarkable as they both defeated fighters from host country Thailand, a strong Muay Thai team.

Speaking to reporters, Nguyen Thi Chieu and Nguyen Thi Phuong Hau both admitted to feeling pressure before the gold medal match. However, the two Vietnamese Muay Thai fighters transformed that pressure into motivation, delivering a spectacular performance to secure the overall victory. Nguyen Thi Chieu shared: "I was quite worried facing the Thai fighter in the final. However, I played according to my strategy. The Thai fighters are very strong in leg and knee strikes, so I proactively moved far away to defend, using my hands, and I succeeded."