Participating in the continental arena with a strong force, Vietnamese athletics ranked 16th overall with 1 silver medal, 1 bronze medal and 2 new national records.
Winning a medal after 16 years
If the "peak" of Vietnamese athletics is determined at the 33rd SEA Games taking place at the end of the year, it is clear that the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships will be a relatively comprehensive test, enough for the team's managers and coaches to determine what needs to be done in the coming time. Furthermore, Vietnamese athletics is also actively aiming to conquer the major arenas of ASIAD 2026 and Olympics 2028.
Nguyen Thi Oanh (3rd from left) broke the national record in the women's 5,000m. Photo: AAA
There was some regret when the women's 4x400m relay team could not complete the hat-trick of gold medals in the continental arena for the third consecutive year. The Nguyen Thi Ngoc - Nguyen Thi Hang - Quach Thi Lan - Hoang Thi Minh Hanh runners missed the chance to defend their gold medal when they only finished second to India in the last 60m. India was the second strongest team at this tournament, only behind China, so Vietnam's silver medal did not mean defeat.
Tran Thi Nhi Yen's bronze medal in the women's 100m event with a time of 11.54 seconds was the biggest mark in this tour of Vietnamese athletics. For the first time in 16 years, Vietnamese athletics won a medal in the speed distance, since Vu Thi Huong won a silver medal at the Asian Games in 2009.
Breaking national records
Also highly appreciated was the performance of "golden girl" Nguyen Thi Oanh in the middle and long distance races, although she did not win the medal as expected. After competing unsuccessfully in the 1,500m distance, Oanh decided to skip her strong 3,000m obstacle course to focus on the 5,000m race.
Facing many strong opponents from India, Japan, China, especially Kazakhstan using naturalized runner Norah Jeruto Tanui - who was an African and world champion when competing in Kenya, Nguyen Thi Oanh confidently strode forward even though the chance of competing for a high ranking was almost zero.
Oanh performed very well with the training plan set by the coaching staff to finish the distance in 6th place after 15 minutes 46 seconds 11. This parameter broke the national record also set by her in 2021 by about 7 seconds, one of the best achievements in her career, helping her simultaneously hold 5 national records in medium and long events including: 5,000 m, 10,000 m, 3,000 m obstacle course, half marathon (21 km) and marathon (42 km).
According to Mr. Nguyen Manh Hieu, head coach of the national team, this year's tournament is an opportunity to evaluate the preparation and competitiveness of athletes for major tournaments, and also an opportunity for young talents to compete, gain experience and adjust their competitive mentality. Nguyen Trung Cuong's deep break of the national record in the men's 3,000m hurdles, Nguyen Thi Ngoc's entry into the women's 400m final, Huynh Thi My Tien's final in the women's 100m hurdles, and Quach Thi Lan's final in the women's 400m hurdles... all demonstrate the great efforts of the athletes.
"At the 2024 Asian Youth Athletics Championships, Tran Thi Nhi Yen achieved a time of 11.40 seconds - a better result than the silver medal this year won by Veronica Shanti (Singapore). According to experts, if invested in the right direction, the runner born in 2005 has many prospects to go far.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/tin-hieu-tich-cuc-cua-dien-kinh-viet-196250602211108593.htm
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