Vietnam’s athletics team meets 33rd SEA Games target

Before departing for the Games, the team had set a goal of winning between 12 and 14 gold medals.

Heading into the decisive final day, however, the team had secured only eight golds, leaving a significant gap to close.

With just three traditional strong events remaining: the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, women’s 4x400m relay, and men’s 4x400m relay, the outlook appeared challenging.

Ultimately, the target was achieved through an unexpected and thrilling sequence of victories.

The first gold medal of the day was bagged by familiar star Nguyen Thi Oanh, who won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

A surprise then followed in the high jump, an event that had attracted little attention prior to the Games.

Nineteen-year-old Bui Thi Kim Anh cleared 1.86 meters to claim gold.

Another unexpected breakthrough came in the long jump.

Tran Thi Loan’s leap of 6.53 meters secured gold, pushing Vietnam’s tally to 11 and leaving the team just one short of its minimum target.

Hopes were high in the men’s 4x400m relay, but the Vietnamese team was unable to overcome Thailand, bolstered by Australian-born athlete Joshua Robert Atkinson.

The silver medal placed Vietnam on the brink of missing its goal.

Relief and celebration arrived soon after as the women’s 4x400m relay once again confirmed their dominance in Southeast Asia.

The quartet of Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Nguyen Thi Hang, Hoang Thi Minh Hanh, and Le Thi Tuyet Mai claimed a convincing victory, securing Vietnam’s 12th athletics gold medal of the Games.

Over the course of the competition, Vietnam maintained its strength in key events such as the women’s 1,500m, men’s and women’s 3,000m steeplechase, women’s 5,000m and 10,000m, as well as the women’s and mixed 4x400m relays.

Several pleasant surprises also emerged, including Ho Trong Manh Hung in the triple jump, Tran Thi Loan in the long jump, Bui Thi Kim Anh in the high jump, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc in the women’s 400m.

Veteran runner Quach Thi Lan also silenced doubts about her form.

Returning to the SEA Games after serving a doping ban, she claimed gold in the women’s 400m hurdles, earning widespread admiration.

Despite these successes, Vietnam fell short in some traditionally strong events, notably the women’s 100m hurdles and 800m.

In total, the Vietnamese athletics team finished with 12 gold, 12 silver, and 10 bronze medals.

It marked the second consecutive SEA Games in which Vietnam ranked behind Thailand, who topped the athletics medal table with 13 golds, 13 silvers, and four bronzes.

The Vietnam Athletics Federation decided to award VND1 billion (US$37,980) to the national athletics team in recognition of their efforts at the 33rd SEA Games, held in Thailand.