Runner Lê Tú Chinh will compete at the upcoming Thống Nhất Speed Cup athletics tournament in HCM City. Photo nhipsongphuongnam.vn

HCM City  Short-distance running queen Lê Tú Chinh is competing in the Thống Nhất Speed Cup athletics tournament in HCM City this weekend, as her preparations for a next month's SEA Games enter the final stage. 

The Thống Nhất Speed Cup will take place on April 7-9 and will feature many teams across the country. Senior athletes will compete in 27 categories ranging from running to throwing and jumping, while junior athletes will compete in 15 categories.

Chinh said she will focus on competing in her two favourite events, the 100m and 200m. At the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, she won silver in the 200m and gold in the 100m.

At the games, which will be held in Việt Nam, Chinh’s opponent is naturalised American athlete Kristina Knott of the Philippines, who won the 200m gold medal in the 30th Games. Knott has been named as part of the Filipino sports delegation to compete in Hà Nội.

To prepare for the Speed Cup this year, Chinh has trained very hard with heavy supplementary exercises.

Chinh’s coach Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương said Chinh has made remarkable progress in training and is ready to conquer upcoming tournaments.

At the last year’s Speed Cup, Chinh competed in the 60m, 100m and 200m events, easing to goal in all three.

At this year’s event, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no participation of foreign athletes.

The Speed Cup, one of the largest local athletics events, is normally held each April and is a chance for athletes to gain experience and catch the eye of national scouts.

“We try to organise the tournament well so that senior athletes have an event to prepare for the SEA Games. If there are no extra events for athletes to get used to the state of competition, it is difficult for them to achieve high results at the SEA Games," Trịnh Đức Thanh, head of HCM City's athletics department, said.

Following the Speed Cup, athletes will participate in the pre-SEA Games 31 athletics tournament scheduled to be held in Hà Nội on April 15.

The athletics event of the 31st SEA Games will take place at the Mỹ Đình National Stadium in Hà Nội on May 14-19 with 47 categories. VNS