Athletics

Quách Thị Lan (right) on her way to gold in the women's 400m hurdles during the SEA Games 31 in May in Hà Nội. Lan will represent Việt Nam at the World Athletics Championship in the US. — VNA/VNS Photo

Thanh Hà

HÀ NỘI — Quách Thị Lan has earned a place at the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon, the US, where she will face off against the best athletes in the world this month.

She is the sole Vietnamese competitor at the 18th edition tournament, receiving a wildcard position as Việt Nam did not earn any official berth from qualifications.

It will be her second time in the US. Lan enjoyed a one-year training course in Florida, the US, in 2015.

Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, general secretary of the Việt Nam Athletics Federation, said Lan was chosen as the most successful of the Vietnamese competitors.

The 26-year-old was the only track-and-field athlete from Việt Nam to compete at the Tokyo Olympics last July. Her presence in the women's 400m hurdles semi-finals was Việt Nam's best athletics performance at the Olympics.

Lan won the 400m hurdles in the 2018 Asian Games and 400m hurdles in the Asian championship in 2019.

She claimed two SEA Games titles in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay, and a bronze in the 400m last month.

Lan will travel to Oregon with her Bulgarian coach Vladimir Simeonov who also accompanied her at the Tokyo Games.

"The selection by the sports leaders and coaches is based on different criteria. But I think that I am chosen because of my peak, which will fall in that period," Lan told Việt Nam News.

"On my side, I have been working hard in my career and hope to contribute as much as possible to the nation. The world championship will be a good opportunity that will push me up and I will show off my ability as a Việt Nam representative," she said.

Lan said she was honoured to be selected for the first time at the world event. After a short time visiting family after the SEA Games 31 success, she has been back in action to prepare for the event.

"My coaches and I are in an intensive training course. As you all know, my drive to the finish line in the last metres is not good. I understand my weakness. Together with my coaches, I will have to improve that.

"In a long-term job, we will have to build up a suitable plan which will fix my weaknesses and lift my results."

In the coming event, which is scheduled from July 15-24, Lan will face the world's strongest runners, including Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin who broke her own world record in the 400m hurdles at the US track and field championships last week.

"To me, participating in the championship and competing against world-leading athletes is an honour. I will have the chance to learn from them and enrich my knowledge and experience for my career. It will help me to strive to run as well as they can," Lan said.

The Vietnamese athlete said she is not under any pressure of high results but is encouraged to run as best as she can.

Lan will run in the 400m hurdles qualification on July 19. If she qualifies, the semi-finals will be held a day later, while the finals are on July 22.

At the previous world championship in 2019 in Qatar, Việt Nam sent youngster Ngần Ngọc Nghĩa to compete in the men's 100m event. He did not make the finals. — VNS