Huong's coach reveals an interesting detail: winning the SEA Games gold medal was thanks to her resilience in overcoming adversity.

Vietnam's first gold medal in canoeing at the 33rd SEA Games came not only from the performance of the 'Huong duo', but also from overcoming the great challenge of strong winds at Ratchaburi.

"Song Huong" provided a perfect opening for Vietnam at the 33rd SEA Games.

Immediately after the duo Nguyen Thi Huong and Diep Thi Huong won the first gold medal for the Vietnamese sports delegation at the SEA Games 33, the head coach of the Vietnamese canoeing team, Mr. Luu Van Hoan, shared his thoughts on the team's emotional day of competition.

According to coach Luu Van Hoan, this was a very successful day of competition as the Vietnamese canoeing team brought home 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal, and 1 bronze medal. He assessed the athletes' performance as "impressive and excellent," and expressed his pride that canoeing was the first team to win a gold medal for Vietnamese sports at this year's Games.

Coach Luu Van Hoan gave an interview to HTV after Vietnam's canoeing team won the gold medal on the afternoon of December 10th.

PHOTO: HTV

The coach stated that the duo of Nguyen Thi Huong and Diep Thi Huong lived up to expectations right from the qualifying round, leading and being considered the strongest contenders in the women's 500m double canoeing event. Their success is the result of serious preparation and tremendous effort in training.

"This victory is very important for the whole team, giving us more motivation to continue performing even better in the coming days," Mr. Hoan shared.

Strong winds in Ratchaburi pose a significant challenge for athletes.

Song Huong's SEA Games gold medal is well-deserved for her efforts.

PHOTO: QUANG TUYEN

Speaking about the competition conditions in Ratchaburi province (Thailand), where the canoeing and rowing events were held, Coach Luu Van Hoan frankly admitted that the weather had a significant impact on the athletes' performance. Strong monsoon winds blew throughout the day at the competition site, making rowing much more difficult than the training conditions in Hai Phong .

However, he emphasized that the team had received good support from the leaders of the Department of Sports and Physical Education, the federation, and the sport's governing body, helping the athletes adapt effectively to the actual competition conditions.

Looking ahead to the upcoming events, coach Luu Van Hoan places high hopes on the women's 200m C2 event, although he also acknowledges that Thailand and Indonesia have a significant advantage in this distance due to their strong physical foundation.

Regarding the significance of the first gold medal, the head coach of the canoeing team affirmed that it is an important morale boost:

"The most important thing is that the gold medal helps relieve pressure on the team. The athletes will be more confident and stronger in the following events," he said.

Coach Luu Van Hoan hopes that the Vietnamese canoeing team will continue to maintain their form and bring home more valuable medals in the remaining days of the SEA Games 33.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thay-cua-song-huong-tiet-lo-dieu-thu-vi-gianh-vang-sea-games-nho-ban-linh-vuot-gio-185251210163858486.htm