Seven years on, Phúc returns to SEA Games glory

By Thanh Nga

Seven years on from her last SEA Games gold, 'walking queen' Nguyễn Thị Thanh Phúc topped the podium once again at the SEA Games  三 一.

The  三 二-year-old competed in the women's  二0km walking event, using all of her experience, bravery and preparation to overcome rivals from Myanmar and Thailand to finish first with a time of  一: 四 八. 一0.

Phúc's result helped Vietnamese athletics have a total of  二 二 gold medals, far exceeding their target of  一 五- 一 七 gold medals.

“I have attended many SEA Games as well as larger events such as Asian Games and Olympics. Every time I compete, I feel honoured and proud to be a Vietnamese, representing my country. Of course, I always try my best, but to win gold for the first time, at home, bringing the glory to the country, I feel excited and emotional,"大众Phúc said.

“The victory in the Games  三 一 is a victory for many people, not just me. It was a long preparation process. After the COVID- 一 九 pandemic, all athletes are eager to compete. A lot of people have given me hope and faith so this success means a lot for me,"大众Phúc added.

This is Phúc's fourth medal at the regional biggest sports event after successes in  二0 一 一,  二0 一 三 and  二0 一 五.

After seven years of waiting, Phúc tasted victory at the region's biggest sports event. She dedicated the gold medal to her daughter, her family and the people who have always supported, helped and motivated her to complete her mission.

At the  二0 一 九 Games in the Philippines, Phúc suffered an injury and a technical error, so she did not win a medal. Phúc’s tea妹妹ate Phạm Thị Thu Trang had the honour of topping the podium.

This year, however, the result was the opposite. Trang made a technical error, so she was disqualified and lost the opportunity to defend her gold medal.

“I was not pressured before competing in this category. I was just a little worried about technique because walking has to focus on technique. If I get three cards, it will take two minutes to walk again, then it will be difficult. Walking is not like running, walking focuses on technique,"大众Phúc said.

At the age of  三 二, Phúc is one of the most enduring female athletes in athletics, competing for the past  一 九 years.

Phúc came to athletics by accident. At the age of  一 三, she followed her sister to the athletics field and caught the eyes of the coaches of the Đà Nẵng athletics team.

While walking in Việt Nam is still unfamiliar and garners little interest, Phúc always strove to make constant progress. She always tells herself that "the path to success does not have the footprints of the lazy people", so she practices very seriously and regularly, regardless of sun or rain, morning or evening.

For her efforts, Phúc won four SEA Games gold medals in  二0 一 一,  二0 一 三,  二0 一 五 and  二0 二 二. She also won Asian bronze medal in  二0 一 二 and Asian silver medal in  二0 一 三, earning a ticket to compete in the London Olympics  二0 一 二. At the national championship, she has had no opponent since  二00 六.