Athletics

Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà runs to the finish line of the women's 800m during the 32nd SEA Games in May. She won a gold in her regional sport meet debut. Photo toquoc.vn

Thanh Hà

Việt Nam's chance to top the podium at the 32nd SEA Games women's 800m event was nearly swept away due to a doping problem several weeks before the competition. ​​

But newbie Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà surprised everyone when she won gold at her first regional sport meet. At the same time, she helped Việt Nam continue its long-time middle-distance race domination in the region.

​​After her successful start, Hà who came to athletics as a long jumper, is expected to get better results in the future.

Generation Z runner

Born in 2002 in Nam Định Province's Ý Yên District, Hà was the third sibling in a farming family of four children.

Despite growing up in a non-sporting environment, seventh-grader Hà was picked to take part in the provincial school competition’s long jump in 2015, finishing third.­­­­­

She soon lost interest in jumping, but switched to running and quickly won gold in a district-level event.

​“It was in the summer. We were stunned when Hà returned home with a certificate of merit from the district because nobody in the house practices any kind of sport,” said Nguyễn Văn Thắng, Hà’s father.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà (left) and teammate Bùi Thị Ngân celebrate their gold and silver in the women's 800m during the 32nd SEA Games in May. Photo toquoc.vn

“Later, some coaches came to our family and asked us to let Hà test her abilities in sport. But they told us to think carefully because not everyone is successful. When we asked Hà, she said she wanted to try, so we agreed.”

Like many athletes, Hà faced many difficulties in her first days of practising professionally.

“The first month was really tough. I got homesick, was exhausted with exercises and wanted to quit. But it was coach Nguyễn Thị Thanh Xuân that lifted me up. She took care of me, encouraged me and pushed me up," said Hà, who quickly brought home medals from national youth tournaments,

She became a member of the national young athletics team's 800m group in early 2018. Two years later she switched to run in the 400m and 400m hurdles.

At the National Sports Games (NSG) last December, she won gold in the 4x800m, a silver in the 400m hurdles and a silver in the 800m.

Her second place in the 800m was partly due to the absence of the national and SEA Games defending champion Khuất Phương Anh who was sidelined because of a doping violation.

But it gave her a berth in the national team for the 32nd SEA Games in May in Cambodia.

SEA Games success

Having dominated the women's 800m event in the regional sport meet for decades, Việt Nam has been home to middle-distance running talents, with no one else on top since 1999.

When champion Anh was ousted from the national team and former champion Đinh Thị Bích could not reach her peak, it was believed that the championship would finally move to a new country. But Hà had other ideas.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà is down to the field after she finishes the women's 800m race during the 32nd SEA Games in May. Photo thanhnien.vn

Hà and teammate Bùi Thị Ngân were both Generation Z runners, and little was expected of them.

"I was over the moon being selected. All my life, I dreamed of being able to attend the SEA Games," said Hà.

"Actually, I ran 800m at the NSG for reference only, because I was on the 400m team. After being picked for the 800m in the SEA Games, I had only three months to adjust my training schedule and practise intensively."

The 800m is considered one of the toughest events in running because of its requirements in endurance, strength and speed. Training needs to focus on all three elements equally. In the 400m hurdles runners must focus on technique more than other events, while in the 800m endurance is critical.

Hà met the challenge and switched smoothly in a short time, and was able to defend Việt Nam's top position.

"During my preparation for the tournament, I was strongly supported by senior teammates and coaches. They firmly encouraged me to strive harder," she said.

'Hard work paid off'

Hà put in a scintillating performance to ensure Việt Nam was still top dog in the 800m for the region.

She was in the middle of the pack for the duration of the race. But with 200m to go, a powerful kick saw her speed past her rivals to nab gold.

"Prior to the competition, I was really nervous as it was my first big senior international event. While running, I just tried my best to catch up with the leading runners or stick close to them. My strong speed as a 400m runner helped me a lot, as I was able to make a powerful sprint in the last few dozen metres to cross the finish line."

The 21-year-old was exhausted and cried hard at her victory. She could not believe the truth. She was the champion.

"I was so happy and couldn't believe I won gold in my first Games. My hard work paid off," she said.

"The victory will be a strong push for me to prepare for the Asian championships in Thailand in July. I want to beat my personal best and run better than my SEA Games result (2:08.55). Previously, my dream was the SEA Games, now it is the Asian Games. I will try my best to make it come true." VNS