Athletics

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc (left) takes the first leg for team Việt Nam at the 2024 Asian Relay Championships. Việt Nam won gold and will compete for the title at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in May in South Korea. Photo nld.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will defend its women's 4x400m relay medal at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships this May in South Korea, while the nation's best marathoners are aiming for high results at the continental tournament in March.

Runners Quách Thị Lan, Nguyễn Thị Hằng, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc and Hoàng Thị Minh Hạnh successfully won the title at the 2023 Asian Athletics tournament, before taking the top podium at the Asian Relay Championships last May.

Taking home the first gold medal from this competition also helped them win the Victory Cup Teammate of the Year earlier this month.

The honour was a strong motivation for them to run faster and earn even better results in 2025, said runner Lan.

Meanwhile coach Nguyễn Thị Bắc said each of her athletes has her own strong point, and all are determined to win success for themselves and for Việt Nam.

She said relay is much harder than individual running, as it relies on a group effort. Every runner has to try their best to contribute to the overall result. In 2024, her team worked hard for a remarkable achievement, and they will have to work harder to take the medal again at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships from May 27 to 31.

The team won the Asian tournament in a time of 3min 32.36sec and set a national record of 3:30.82, nearly two seconds faster, at the relay competition. According to the coaching board, the athletes are expected to deliver an even better performance in this year's tournament.

In addition to the Asian event, the team will also look for a win at the 33rd SEA Games in December in Thailand.

“We are actively practicing and strictly following the team's plan. Everyone really wants to get the best professional results when running in any tournament," said Hạnh.

Vietnamese marathoners will take part in the Asian championship held in March in China.

Among four Vietnamese competitors, national champions Hoàng Nguyên Thanh and Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa will do a lot of the heavy lifting in the men's and women's circles, respectively.

The duo set national records at the 2024 tournament in Hong Kong, before Hoa's record was broken eight months later.

Hoàng Nguyên Thanh crosses the finish line at the Bà Rá Mountain Climbing Tournament in early January. Thanh will be one of four Vietnamese competitors at the Asian Marathon Championship in March in China. VNS Photo Phú Quý

Two other marathoners attending the championship are SEA Games silver medal winner Lê Thị Tuyết (in the women's race) and young talent Mai Quí Phong (in the men's race).

Results from the Asian tournament and the runners' statistics in training will decide if the quartet will be chosen to compete in the 33rd SEA Games, at which Việt Nam expects to win the highest places.

Among the four athletes, only Phong is a newcomer, while Thanh, Hoa and Tuyết are SEA Games veterans.

Tuyết missed a gold at the Cambodian Games due to her lack of experience.

Hoa secured the 31st SEA Games bronze, while Thanh won at the 31st Games and finished third at the Siem Reap event in 2023.

New hopes for SEA Games

Runner Quách Công Lịch is the latest runner to retire from international competitions, leaving his place in the 400m and 400m hurdle team to younger teammates.

Previously, multiple SEA Games champions Nguyễn Thị Huyền, Bùi Thị Thu Thảo and Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ had left the team.

Their absence affects Việt Nam's plans in 2025, especially for the SEA Games, but the national coaching board has put their trust in young new talents and in athletes returning to the sport after bans.

A list of 70 athletes has already been drawn up for the SEA Games, including experienced runners such as Nguyễn Thị Oanh, Hoàng Thanh Giang, Trần Đình Sơn, Nguyễn Trung Cường, Lương Đức Phước, Trần Thị Nhi Yến and Lê Thị Tuyết Mai.

Trần Thị Nhi Yến hopes for better SEA Games results in Thailand this December. VNS Photo Hoàng Linh

"My personal best results are 11.40sec at 100m and 23.48sec at 200m. My goal this new year is to run faster and win better results at the 33rd SEA Games," said Nhi, who won the 100m bronze and 200m silver in Cambodia.

Meanwhile Oanh is expected to defend all four titles in the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m and 3,000m steeplechase that she won in the last Games.

There are also places for high performance athletes like Nguyễn Đức Sơn, Lê Quốc Huy, Tạ Ngọc Tưởng, Y Danh Danh, Lê Thị Lam, Hà Quang Thắng, Nguyễn Thành Đạt, Hoàng Trọng Phiên, Lương Bình Dương, Lê Quốc Huy and Nguyễn Quốc Thình in both track and field categories.

The team will also see the return of long jumper Vũ Thị Ngọc Hà and 400m runners Lê Ngọc Phúc and Quách Thị Lan. They will have chance to prove their ability after months of bans due to doping violations.

The athletic team is hoping to win 12 golds to take their top spot back at the Thailand SEA Games. VNS